College and life is so hard

Navigating the Challenges of College and Life

Balancing college and life has been an overwhelming experience for me lately. I recently returned to school to pursue a degree in Engineering, or at least something that sparks my interest, but the stress has been intense.

Thanks to my parents’ military background and my mom being Native American, I have the incredible privilege of attending college for free, which I know is a rare opportunity. Currently, I’m enrolled in Algebra, English, and Engineering classes with dreams of becoming an engineer one day. However, after two years away from math, the transition back has proven difficult. I recently bombed my math exam, scoring just 9 out of 100—something I’ve never experienced before, even during challenging times. Stress is piling up, and I’m facing so much all at once.

My mom passed away last November on Veterans Day, which inspired me to pursue my education, but now I’m juggling college with a myriad of other responsibilities. I work long shifts at Tesla, usually 12 hours, and 3-4 times a week, often taking on overtime just to make ends meet. I’ve had to repay my roommate for borrowing too much, which added to my stress, but at least that’s resolved now. On top of that, I’m dealing with my mom’s finances, the VA, and transitioning everything into my name—like the insurance that was previously under hers.

To make matters worse, I’ve recently had to deal with a frustrating situation at my apartment. The management parked a golf cart in front of my garage, forcing me to park elsewhere, and my vehicle ended up getting towed after just a day. I had to fork out $300 to get it back, and it’s not the first time I’ve had issues with the apartment complex, which takes forever to fix basic things like a door or an oven. My roommate and I have decided it’s time to move out due to all these ongoing problems. While I’m not thrilled about his choice to leave, I understand his reasoning. I’ll be moving in with my uncle and aunt, which may ease some of the burden.

With everything happening, my college performance is slipping. I’m managing to keep up with English and Engineering, but math has become a serious struggle. I’m even considering dropping the course this semester and retaking it over the summer. The pressure is so intense that I often lose focus on simple problems, and there are times when I just break down in tears. Adding to my anxiety is my family’s history of heart issues; on nights when I work, I’ve gone days without sufficient sleep, sometimes blacking out briefly on the job. I find myself using my breaks either to tackle homework or catch a few moments of sleep, but it never feels like it’s enough.

And honestly, a heartfelt shout-out to the challenges of adulthood—it’s exhausting!