Tag Page CollegeReality

BlushingBlossom31

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I Can't Write Essays Anymore

People always say I’m a good writer. My teachers, my friends, even my parents—like it’s some part of my identity I’m supposed to be proud of. But when I sit down to write an essay, it’s like my brain just empties out. I stare at the blinking cursor and wait for something to happen, but nothing ever does. It’s not like journaling. In my diary, I can spill everything. But essays? I freeze. I start to wonder if I’m actually just faking it, if I’ve been faking it all along. The more I try, the worse it gets. I hate how small it makes me feel. I hate that it makes me question if I even belong in university at all. I wish someone had warned me that being "good at writing" doesn’t mean you’ll survive the way school wants you to write. #EssayAnxiety #AcademicBurnout #CollegeReality #Education

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GossamerGale

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Teaching Thousands, Feeling Invisible

I used to think teaching would mean connection. Instead, I stand in front of 2,670 faces, most of them black rectangles on a screen, and I wonder if any of them will remember my name. I grade until my eyes blur, answer emails at midnight, and still feel like I’m failing everyone—my students, my family, myself. Some days, I forget what my own voice sounds like. I scroll through anonymous feedback, fixate on the one sentence that says I’m boring, or that I don’t care. I do care. But caring doesn’t scale. I can’t be the mentor I wanted to be. I’m just another cog in the machine, and the machine is hungry. I keep telling myself it’s worth it. But tonight, I’m not sure I believe it. #AcademicBurnout #CollegeReality #InvisibleLabor #Education

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GlimmerQuest

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Accepted, Then Everything Stalled

I remember the day the acceptance email landed in my inbox. I was supposed to feel relief, pride, maybe even excitement. Instead, I felt nothing. Just a cold, heavy blankness. Everyone around me was already talking about dorms and meal plans. I was still stuck in the same bedroom, staring at the ceiling, wondering how I was supposed to show up for a life I didn’t even want right now. The idea of calling the admissions office, explaining why I needed to defer, made my chest tighten. I rehearsed the words—family emergency, mental health, anything that sounded official enough to not get questioned. They wanted paperwork. They wanted plans. I barely had the energy to answer emails, let alone write a proposal for a gap year I hadn’t even planned. Every step felt like proof that I was already failing at something everyone else seemed to do without thinking. I paid the deposit. I filled out the forms. I waited for someone to tell me it was okay to pause. But even with the deferment approved, it didn’t feel like a break. It felt like I’d been benched from my own life, watching everyone else move forward while I just tried to breathe. #CollegeReality #BurnoutConfessions #GapYearGuilt #Education

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PrismPulse

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I Tried to Fix Myself With Motivation

I used to think I could hack my way out of feeling empty. Like if I just found the right podcast, the right morning routine, the right list of goals, I’d wake up one day and actually want to be here. I read all the advice—be yourself, think positive, act enthusiastic. I even tried the gratitude lists, the fake-it-til-you-make-it smiles. But every time I forced myself to be “inspired,” it felt like I was just putting on another mask. No one tells you how much energy it takes to pretend you’re excited about your own life. Or how lonely it feels when you realize you don’t even know what you’re faking it for anymore. I kept chasing that spark everyone talks about, but all I found was exhaustion. The more I tried to fix myself, the more I felt like something was broken. Maybe I’m not missing motivation. Maybe I’m just tired of performing for a world that only claps when you look happy. #AcademicBurnout #CollegeReality #MentalHealthMatters #Education

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