An upperclassman explains her struggle of having low self-esteem and what it is like living with anxiety. 

“Throughout my high school life, I have always regretted not asking for help. I feel as if the teachers and students will think I’m unintelligent or feel as if I am a burden to them for not understanding the first time. I have a hard time with my self-esteem, and I have for a while. Rather than raise my hand about something I don’t understand, I sit in silence and suffer. Some of my grades have reflected that in some of my underclassman years. It certainly eats away at me that I am not smart enough, that I should have the body of what society wants a woman to look like, and constant uncertainty and doubt about the future. Although recently, I have gotten better at it. Why should I care what anyone but myself thinks? I am working on trying to fix that, but it’s hard. A quote my dad tells me is ‘Work hard now so you don’t have to later.’ If you get the schooling and the struggles sooner, you can have an easy riding life later and not be working at 55 to make what you could have at 25. I cherish this quote and intend to live up to it.”