Accepted, But Always Exhausted

I remember the day the email came—subject line: "Congratulations." I thought it would fix everything. Like getting into this program would finally make the years of grinding worth it. But all it did was move the finish line. Every day since, it’s been a new set of hoops, a new metric to fall short of. I wake up tired, go to bed wired, and somewhere in between I forget what I’m even working toward. My friends talk about dreams; I talk about deadlines. Sometimes I wonder if I’d even recognize myself without the pressure. I don’t know who I am outside of grades and expectations. All I know is I’m so tired of chasing ‘enough’ and never catching it. #AcademicBurnout #CollegeReality #NeverEnough #Education