I Sat in the Back Row and Stopped Trying

I used to pick the seat by the window—closest to the light, furthest from the board. It felt safer to watch everyone else answer, to let the teacher’s eyes pass over me. But that safety turned into something else. Every semester, I promised myself I’d try harder. But the more I tried, the more the desks felt like cages. I’d stare at the clock, counting down minutes, wondering if anyone else felt this tired. I stopped raising my hand. I stopped caring about the grade, or maybe I just stopped believing it meant anything. Sometimes I wonder if anyone noticed when I disappeared into the back row, or if they were all too busy surviving, too. #AcademicBurnout #CollegeReality #InvisibleStruggles #Education