My brain is such a mess from classes and assignments

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i’m a freshman college student in Chicago. it’s interesting and kind of fun but so very expensive for my working and immigrant parents. tuition, off campus housing rent, and a school meal plan add up to $6,310. and i used to worry about this but i made myself stop. what i’m here to vent/rant about is how my classes and the assignments from them have been repeatedly stressing me out. the most prominent one right now is an opinion piece. why it’s stressing me out like hell is i got 2 F’s on the 2 drafts of my first essay of this english class. my brain has internalized it pretty easily because of stress from my other classes. and it is still stuck in my head. this internalization is making me have spotty focus, overthinking on overdrive, rewriting multiple times, writer’s block, and feeling tired even with 7-ish hours of sleep. i have tried using my school’s writing center but the tutor that i scheduled an appointment with was honestly not very helpful, but did make me have this motivation to write my essay when i walked out. but that motivation vanished after i wrote it properly and submitted it. stress is such a b■■■■.

i’m a design student too so that doesn’t make it any better. i need a f■■■■■g break. it’s been more than 2 months since classes started and i’m so tired and stressed. but my school doesn’t have occasional days off like my high school did. so i’m just carrying my stress in my head both in class and at home while trying to also do anything to distract myself from it and trying to do my assignments to the best of my ability. why does my first semester of college have to be so stressful?? i thought it would be great after i had a crappy summer but nope. and i’m also pretty sure next semester will be the same but with different classes. i know i’m being negative but after 2 months of gradually growing stress, i just cannot think positive. thank you for reading my vent/rant.

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Hello @913girl Thank you for opening up about all this. College can be such an overwhelming transition, and it sounds like you’ve been carrying a lot on your shoulders. It’s great that you’re finding parts of college life interesting and fun, but it also makes total sense that the stress, expectations, and financial pressure are weighing on you. You’re doing your best in a really tough situation, and that deserves to be acknowledged.

Getting two F’s on your essay drafts, especially after trying hard, can feel so discouraging, and it’s understandable that it’s stuck in your head. That kind of feedback can easily shake your confidence, especially when you’re already stretched thin by other classes. Did your instructor give you any feedback about why you got those grades? It might help to talk to them to get more clarity and see what you can do differently next time. Not as criticism, but as guidance.

The brain fog, exhaustion, and overthinking you mentioned are all signs that your mind and body are under a lot of stress. You’ve been working nonstop, and it’s okay to admit you need a break. It doesn’t make you weak, it just means you’re human. Even short breaks, small walks, or taking time for hobbies can make a difference.

It’s also really telling that you went to the writing center. That shows you care about improving and doing well, even if the session itself wasn’t very helpful. The fact that you still pushed through and submitted your essay despite all this says a lot about your determination. You’ve shown resilience, even when everything feels like too much.

Be gentle with yourself, okay? You’ve just come out of a tough summer and jumped straight into a demanding semester, of course you’re tired. You deserve to rest without guilt. If it ever gets too heavy, it might help to talk to someone, like a school counselor or even a trusted professor. You don’t have to carry this all alone.

You’re already doing your best, and that’s more than enough right now. You’ve got this! One step, one assignment, one day at a time.

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hello, I understand that you are stressed over your assigments, and your feelings are valid. as a student myself, I totally understand some assignments can feel taxing. what I usually do to “help” my writers’ block is go out on walks near a park, as I get random bits of inspiration here and there, which helps in my writing process. rooting for you op! <3