Freshmen Fiascos: The Pressure is Real – Assignments, Stress, and One Professor from Hell

Hey there, my dearest diary,

The beginning of college life was supposed to be about fun, freedom, and finding yourself. At least, that’s what everyone told me before I stepped foot on campus. -_- But as I stared at the stack of assignments in front of me, the words “fun” and “freedom” felt like some distant, laughable dream. +_+

Olivia sat across from me at our shared desk, furiously typing away on her laptop. She looked up from her screen, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “Mia, do you think it’s humanly possible to write 3,000 words on Romantic poetry in less than two days? Because if it is, I’m screwed.” We're all screwed honey. >_<

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Well, considering I’ve got a presentation, an essay, and a lab report all due in the same week, I’d say we’re both screwed.” ;_;

Olivia groaned dramatically, slumping in her chair. “College wasn’t supposed to be like this. I thought we’d have more... I don’t know, balance? Like, more parties and less—” she waved her hand over her laptop, “—this.” I know Olivia!!!!! I myself believed that. =_=

I couldn’t argue with her. In the first few weeks of college, we’d both been swept up in the excitement of Freshers’ Week, new friendships, and the thrill of living away from home for the first time. But now, a few months in, the reality was sinking in. The workload had quadrupled, the expectations from professors had intensified, and deadlines seemed to be looming like dark clouds over our heads. *_*

And speaking of clouds, there was one particular storm we couldn’t seem to escape: Professor Grayson.

It wasn’t that Professor Grayson was inherently evil. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. He was evil, in the sense that he took an almost sadistic pleasure in watching students squirm under the weight of his impossible assignments. Such a pain in the ass.

He taught Modern European History, which I had been excited about at first. I mean, history was my thing! I loved diving into old texts, analyzing historical events, and debating different interpretations of the past. But that excitement quickly fizzled out after our first couple of lectures with Grayson. Though I like the subject, I don't understand what does history have to so with Business? $_$

The man was a legend on campus—and not in a good way. He had this reputation for being tough. I’d heard rumors about how he made people cry during presentations and how he once failed an entire class for a group project that didn’t meet his “standards.” And yet, for some reason, I had thought, It can’t be that bad. Yes, you can kill me for thinking this. ?_?

I was wrong.

“So,” Olivia said, leaning back in her chair and staring up at the ceiling, “did you see the email Grayson sent? He wants a full research proposal for our final papers next week. NEXT. WEEK. We’re barely halfway through the semester!”

I groaned, leaning my head on my arms. “I saw it. I’m trying to pretend it doesn’t exist.” I wish it didn't actually exist. >_<

But the truth was, I couldn’t avoid it. None of us could. Grayson was relentless. His assignments weren’t just time-consuming; they were complicated. Every paper had to have a minimum of six academic sources, and not just any sources—oh no. They had to be peer-reviewed journal articles or original manuscripts. No Wikipedia, no online history blogs.

“Do you think he sleeps?” Olivia asked, her voice laced with exhaustion. “Like, do you think he has a life outside of torturing us?” =_=

I snorted, picturing Grayson grading papers in a dark, candle-lit room, cackling maniacally. “Maybe he lives in the library. That would explain why he’s always there.” LOL

Olivia smiled, but it was short-lived. “I just don’t get how he expects us to manage all this. I’ve got papers for my Lit class, group projects for Sociology, and now this? It’s insane.”

She wasn’t exaggerating. College life had turned into a whirlwind of deadlines, readings, and endless hours spent at the library. And it wasn’t just us. Everyone we talked to was feeling the pressure. Jake, who I’d been seeing a bit more since the Freshers’ Party, was in an even worse situation. Everyone's dying at this point.

I bumped into Jake outside the student library a few days after Olivia and I had our little venting session. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes and his hair sticking up like he’d been running his hands through it in frustration. 0_0

“Hey,” I called out as I jogged to catch up with him. “You look... tired.” His face looked like =-= this lol. Like a cute angry puppy.

He gave me a weary smile. Poor guy makes sure to smile all the time, I mean at least when he sees me. “That’s putting it lightly.” He said.

“What’s going on? Grayson driving you mad too?” I asked, though I had a feeling Grayson wasn’t the only problem.

Jake groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “Grayson, for sure. But it’s not just him. My Physics professor dumped two new problem sets on us this week, and my Econ professor decided it was a good idea to assign a group project that’s due in, like, three days.” ;_;

I winced. “Yikes. That sounds brutal.” THAT DOES SOUND BRUTAL.

“Yeah,” Jake muttered, running a hand through his hair again. “I don’t know how anyone is supposed to keep up. I’m spending more time on assignments than anything else. It’s like the professors don’t talk to each other. They don’t realize how much work we’re all drowning in.”

I nodded sympathetically. I knew exactly what he meant. There was no coordination between departments. One week, it felt like you had a manageable workload, and the next, it was like the professors had all conspired to bury you in essays, projects, and presentations. -_-

“Honestly,” Jake continued, “I’ve been thinking about dropping a class. I can’t do all of this and still, you know, survive.”

The idea of dropping a class had crossed my mind, too. But every time I thought about it, I felt a pang of guilt. This was college, after all. It wasn’t supposed to be easy. But was it supposed to be this hard? ;_;

“Have you talked to Grayson?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Jake laughed humorlessly. “Yeah, I tried. I went to his office hours last week to ask for an extension on the research proposal, and he just looked at me like I’d asked for the moon.”

That sounded about right. Grayson wasn’t exactly known for his empathy.

“He told me,” Jake continued, lowering his voice in a mock-serious tone, “‘Mr. Hill, college is meant to challenge you. If you’re struggling, that’s a sign you need to work harder, not ask for leniency.’”

I rolled my eyes. “Classic Grayson.”

Jake shook his head, frustration clear on his face. “I don’t know, Mia. This whole thing is starting to feel like too much. I love college, but the workload is insane. I barely have time to sleep, let alone do anything fun.”

I could relate. I had spent the last few weeks glued to my desk, trying to keep up with the endless assignments. Every time I finished one task, there were five more waiting in line. I missed the days when college had seemed exciting, when it felt like a place to grow and explore. Now, it was just... stress. =_=

The next few weeks passed in a blur of deadlines and late nights. My room had become a war zone of textbooks, notebooks, and empty coffee cups. Olivia and I barely spoke except to exchange updates on how many assignments we’d each finished (or hadn’t finished). ;_;

“Three essays down, two to go,” Olivia muttered one night, slamming her laptop shut. “And that’s not even counting Grayson’s proposal.”

I nodded absentmindedly, my eyes glued to my screen. “I still need to finish my History outline. And then there’s the presentation for Psych next week.”

Olivia sighed, leaning back in her chair. “When does it end? Seriously, I don’t even remember what it feels like to not have something due.” IKR Olivia. I wish I could feel that too. >_<

I knew what she meant. The pressure was relentless. Every moment that wasn’t spent in class was spent working on assignments. And even when I wasn’t actively working, I was thinking about work—what needed to be done, what was due next, what I was falling behind on.

It wasn’t just the workload, though. It was the constant feeling that I wasn’t doing enough, that no matter how hard I worked, I was always behind. Grayson’s class, in particular, was a source of constant anxiety. The man was impossible to please, and every assignment felt like a test of my entire worth as a student.

I had started to develop this pit in my stomach whenever I thought about his class. The deadlines were always looming, and no matter how much time I put into my papers, I always felt like they weren’t good enough. And then there was the constant fear of failure—the idea that if I didn’t meet his sky-high expectations, I would fall flat on my face. ;_;

And it wasn’t just me. I could see the toll it was taking on Olivia, too. She was usually so full of life, but lately, she seemed drained, like the stress was eating away at her.

To be Continued.