I remember my first year here at Michigan State; I was walking to my dorm and stopped when I saw 1,100 backpacks lying on the ground. Each bag told a student's personal story and represented the number of deaths associated with college suicides each year. I looked at the photos of former students with smiles so big; at that point it became extremely difficult to understand the fact that they did not seek help or tell anyone about their problems. This had a great effect on me because I felt a mutual connection as a college student who also faces many challenges every day on campus. With the burden of college increasing pressure on students, mental health is becoming a bigger issue. Mental health problems affecting college students include suicide, depression, stress and anxiety, self-harm, bipolar disorder, psychotic tendencies, disorders, schizophrenia, ADHD, and problems with sleep. According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, the suicide rate in the United States increased from 10.43 per 100,000 students to 13.02 between the years 2000 and 2013. In today's society, stress, expectations and social media contribute to even more stress more students. I'm a first-year student and I often feel overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed. College can be a very challenging time as we all have to adapt to a new environment, meet different people, deal with difficult classes, balance social life and study work. Facing many obstacles can also give you mixed emotions. Some depressed people may not experience sadness at all, but be more irritable or lose interest in things they usually enjoy. “In 2004 the Task Force on Graduate Student Mental Health at the University of California at Berkley found… halfway through the document… attracts. I believe college can bring you down in many ways and not all people can carry the same burden. I'm still trying to cope and have managed to meet a therapist who guides me through what feels like a nocturnal jungle. “It is neither an exaggeration nor alarmism to say that there is a mental health crisis facing America today. College students. Evidence suggests that this group has higher levels of stress and psychopathology than at any time in the history of the nation. (“The College Student Mental Health Crisis” 2014).” In addition to the complications that arise from mental illnesses, I have an understanding of the global view. Today's college students from diverse backgrounds, along with me, are struggling with a serious mental health crisis. I encourage students not to hold it back, but to seek help and lead in these difficult times.