So, I recently started college and I am simultaneously prepared and unprepared for it.

Everyone understands that college is nothing like high school, that the lecturers don’t give a shit about you and that sex is rampant but for these past few weeks, I have been suffering from something completely out-of-character for me. Persistent loneliness and isolation.

Everyone tells you that you’ll be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people you meet during college orientation, however, this is nothing like my own personal experience. These past few weeks I have become friends with a grand total of two people. I’m not someone who takes pride in having a shit ton of friends so that’s not what bothers me. What bothers me is the fact that I am in college, surrounded by people and my whole two friends and continue to feel completely isolated. This is something temporary for me and I have a pretty strong resolve, take a ton of anxiety and depression meds, and have a gift for butting into people’s conversations but I worry for the people who aren’t like me.

College/university isn’t all partying and socialisation for everone involved. It can be hard to keep in touch with people and to create new acquaintanceships. I feel like people who’ve been to college in the past tell everyone to worry about over-socialising but never mention the potential hazards of under-socialising. If isolation is your jam, good on ya! I worry about the people who are affected by loneliness. If I have felt as awful as I have these past few weeks than how would someone feel who is a lot more mentally vulnerable than I am? It just bothers me that someone might be starting college right now and suffering from budding anxiety or depression due to their lack of human connection.

The solution to this issue would be to stop assuming as a society that everyone will have the same/similar experiences as a college freshman. We need to warn people about their potential lack of social life in college so that they can start creating a support system before it’s too late.

I realise that I sound superr Tumblr Ho with all this ~mental health guyzz~ talk, but I do believe that this is an issue that people just don’t discuss enough when it comes to college.

Agree with me or don’t, that’s just how I feel. If you are one of the Gs who actually get what I’m saying please consider telling a future college kid that you may know (if you start lecturing a random high school senior without warning, you might get arrested- don’t be creepy!) about this issue. You could actually help someone.

Well, that’s my emotional rant for the day. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be lost in a downward spiral of Netflix documentaries.

-Birdie