#CollegeLife #StudentStruggles #FinancialHardship
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to open up a discussion and ask: What were you doing in 2023?🤔 I’m feeling a bit lost in life right now and could use some perspective. Here’s a little bit about my current situation:
– I’m a 23-year-old LPN working full time and going to school full time to get my BS in nursing.
– I have $17K in credit card debt and $25K in student loans, with no savings to fall back on.
– I recently moved to a well-off city with my girlfriend, and it’s tough seeing other students my age not having to worry about bills and rent.
– I just had to sell my new car to save money and bought a 2002 model instead.
– I have a toothache that needs a $1K bone biopsy, but I can’t afford it.
I know there are bigger problems out there, but I could really use some advice on how to navigate the next few years.
Any suggestions or personal experiences you can share to help me out? Let’s discuss and support each other through tough times. 💪🏽🌟
23 and I feel behind also. GPA took damage after COVID. Took a break. Fell ill for 2 years and racked up medical debt. Went back to school and had to pull out again after a traumatic incident. Parents never helped me get a car, job, pay for school or taught me anything about paying bills. After 18 I was told to figure it out. In a lot of ways I feel behind and lost but in other ways I feel so much more wiser than my piers and even people older than me. You win some and you lose some.
Pick up a hobby, read, write, draw, run, meditate. You’re still young. 20’s are for making mistakes.
Keep at it. You will do ok in the end. if any dental schools are in the area, most will do the work for free to be able to train new dentists.
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 18 years old. By the age of 19 it had completely taken over my life. I had become a totally different person and was incapable of functioning like a normal person… I was hospitalized several times and had tried countless kinds of medications and therapy. At 23 I received electroconvulsive therapy (aka shock therapy) in a desperate attempt to find some kind of relief. I promised myself that if it didn’t work I would kill myself. But it did help. It has been over a decade since then and I have completely turned my life around. I still get some symptoms but they are far less severe. The year I turned 23 was nearly the end for me. I’m happy I am still here.
You’re doing alright – making good decisions, paying off debt, going to school, working, have an active social life (well, dating anyway). I don’t think you have a lot to worry about, though I’m sure it feels like you have a lot on your mind. Plus, your first gen going for that bachelor’s! That’s huge! Don’t compare yourself to others too much. In a short time, you’ll be right where you want to be if you keep it up.
Hey, you’re doing an incredible job balancing it all. Life’s tough now, but keep pushing through—you’re on an amazing path. Focus on small wins and remember to take care of yourself. You’re stronger than you think! Keep moving forward and you’ll get there.