College students have begun to prepare for another semester of classes, clubs and other activities while balancing deadlines and jobs.

One of the more enormous challenges many will be unprepared for will be their take on mental health.

Anxiety and depression are the most popular two that most college students experience. Marion Pink, a senior majoring in social work, says her perspective on mental health has changed since realizing many students share the same things,

“My perspective has changed drastically since I’m around students of all ages such as backgrounds and ethnicities. With my mental illness being talked about openly, I realize some of us struggle with the same issues,” Pink said. “Last semester, I had to withdrawal from my social work program and heal mentally with professional help.”

An article by WebMD presents what issues students could face during college, such as loneliness, social pressure, lack of sleep and social media use, to name a few.

According to Penn State University, students are less likely to drop out of college when they are available counseling centers.

“When students improve during treatment at counseling centers, they are more likely to remain in school,” said Brett Scofield, the executive director of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State University.

In addition, 51% of students are less likely to withdraw from school due to decreased academic stress.

Overall, mental health for college students is essential to getting through the semester. Pink has her way of handling stress and how important mental health is.

“Just being around peers and listening. We all come from different upbringings and coping skills. Taking care of self-health and having clear cognitive thinking will make life easier. When we work on healing over mental health or start working on healing, it will make us feel better overall,” Pink said. “It gives us hope for better days, better relationships, and an overall better outlook on life.”