Preparing for College with Depression: Seeking Advice

Congrats on starting college classes!! 🥰 I’m going to graduate soon, so I have a bunch of tips since I also have SAD and MDD. First of all, in college, you have to be SUPER self-motivated and hold yourself accountable. This is really hard when you’re feeling depressed, so you NEED to make yourself a REALISTIC schedule to follow and a to-do list with the big stuff like homework due dates but also LITTLE things like changing out of your PJs or drinking water. And then give yourself rewards for completing the things on your list! Don’t get sucked into the grind. Second of all, ASK FOR HELP. If your school has disability accommodations, you can tell them about your condition, and they may be able to give you things like extensions on assignments or extra time on tests. If there’s nothing formal like that, you can always just email your professors at the beginning of semester/quarter and explain the same thing. Especially if it’s at the beginning of the quarter, they’re usually very understanding and can give you accommodations as well. And there’s NOTHING WRONG WITH ASKING FOR HELP. They want you to succeed! And this is a way they can help you accomplish it. Third of all, DON’T BE ALONE ALL THE TIME. Make some friends with your classmates, or join a club on one of your interests! College really sucks when all you’re doing is school, since a huge part of the experience is the social life. And having good friends really helped with my depression. Of course, don’t feel bad or pressured if you have a hard time making friends—don’t force yourself. Plus, college isn’t like Mean Girls—nobody really cares about something embarrassing you said… everyone’s too busy just trying to get through classes! 😆 Overall… Take care of yourself. Don’t push yourself to burnout. Try something new. And have some self-compassion. You’re not alone in what you’re going through! ❤️

Most colleges have counselors on campus. I didn’t reach out for personal counseling but I do know that your student fee is for those resources. They are obligated to keep everything private like any other counselor as I am aware. But if you’re struggling and need someone to support you, maybe look into your campus services and see if they have something that you could use.

keep yourself balanced! studying and doing well in school is important but it’s also important that you’re happy and taking time to care for yourself. i picked up knitting last semester, it’s a bit complicated but it helped me keep my mind distracted from everything else. good luck!