Graduation depresses some students

Graduation for most Pitt students is a time for excitement and hope for their upcoming… Graduation for most Pitt students is a time for excitement and hope for their upcoming futures. Majors, minors and certificate requirements are fulfilled, and graduation is therefore inevitable. A path after Pitt must be designed.

Whether a student’s course of action is to go on to graduate school, professional school, the workforce, military or just move back into his parent’s house, something concrete must be decided – and fast, for graduation is on the horizon.

For some graduating students, this walk into the real world can seem more like a leap. Many feel like they are just not ready to go through such an impending transition from a rowdy college student to a working adult.

This almost forceful push into adulthood can sometimes come with an increase in depression during the stress-ridden period before graduation.

Depression is identified as a low and sullen feeling that lasts for weeks or longer or “blue” emotions that affect daily life. When it lasts an extendable amount of time, longer than a few weeks, it is considered to be clinical depression.

It is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to eat, sleep, work or partake in other normally pleasurable activities.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, two factors can be closely related to an onset of depression during graduation time.

“Psychological and environmental stressors can contribute to a depressive episode, though individuals react differently to life events and experiences,” the Institute’s Web site said.

Students close to graduation can have a great deal on their plate. Some may be still on a seemingly never-ending quest to find a job or merely experiencing the anxiety that accompanies leaving college life for one filled with new responsibilities.

Senior Rachel Kohan can relate to students who feel nervous about graduating.

“Right now, I am excited to graduate, but also a little anxious about leaving the comfort of my college routine. I got so used to going to class, writing papers, taking exams and just being a full-time student,” she said.

Not only is graduation stressful enough, but nerves can equally develop from the thought of what comes after receiving a diploma.

“I have to leave that and start something completely new. The thought of starting to train for my new job with Teach for America which starts in June definitely makes me nervous, too,” Kohan added.

There are many stress-inducing factors that are specially laid out for college students. Around graduation time, these factors can be heightened to increase the potential for depression.

“Common stressors in college life include: Greater academic demands, being on your own in a new environment, changes in family relations, financial responsibilities, changes in your social life, exposure to new people, ideas, and temptations, awareness of your sexual identity and orientation and preparing for life after graduation,” the Institute’s Web site said.

On campus, students who feel that they need extra support during this time can find free help in the University’s Counseling Center in the William Pitt Union. Its specialized psychologists understand the turmoil that some students may be enduring now and know how to be supportive.

A few tips that are provided on NIMH’s Web site on how to effectively treat cases of depression are to “not give into negative thinking, take an active role in getting better, be good to yourself while you’re getting better.” This means becoming active with others or in a hobby.

Graduation can be an exciting time in a student’s life, but can also be one filled with new worries. The fact is, everyone makes it through this period and eventually comes out the other end as a better person.