I was so tired on my way to the university library. I just finished two morning classes which were kind of boring, and still had one test and two projects due in several hours. When I arrived at the library entrance, I had a quick look at the sky. It was gray, provoking me to think about my current university life. Recent days were not easy for me. I had to admit that it was hard for me to fully enjoy the classes and also my social life with classmates and roommates around. “No more time to think about it. Already late for the group meeting,” I told myself, and sped up a bit.
However, when I rushed into the meeting room, there was only one project teammate sitting in front of his laptop. What confused me was that I saw tears in his eyes, even though he was wearing glasses. I wondered what had upset this friendly, hardworking friend. Therefore, I asked, “what’s happened?” Once hearing my question, he immediately wiped his tear, trying to pretend that nothing happed. “Nothing,” he said without any emotions I could detect. There might be something going wrong with him. Probably. But I was simply worrying about our project which was the priority task that needed to be done instantly. Hence, I talked to him, well, in a very straightforward manner, “How about us starting working on the project right now? I have to study for my accounting exam, too.” I was afraid that caring about him would be a waste of my time.
Later on, the rest of our teammates arrived, and during our brainstorm session, I was pretty much glad that I played an active role, contributing my own thoughts and ideas to every aspect of the project, however, my gloomy-looking friend held his chin, and stared at his computer screen with wet eyes all the time. Aware of his unusual behaviors, I repeated my question in a kind of angry tone, “What’s happened to you on earth?” Several seconds later, an expression of guilty grief appeared on his face, which was quite obvious. Then he looked as down as he could, and sounding much desperate, he murmured, “I just came back from the health center, and I may be having Depression.” I was totally shocked by what he said, and my hands begun shaking. The first time I got to know the term “Depression” was when I read a book or something like a news report. It never occurred to me that people around me would suffer from this illness, and it seemed natural for me to feel a little bit afraid when my friend revealed his secret to me. I stopped my study right away, and listened to his story with patience. At certain moment, I felt regret and remorse for my previous attitudes towards him. I was too mean. Definitely.
After finishing his telling, my friend sighed, “I don’t feel relaxed recently.” I carefully asked whether he could tell me the reason behind, and as I predicted, I was told that he got a pretty low score in his accounting exam, though he had prepared for it. “Take it easy, dude. In fact, it won’t be a big deal. You’ve got a chance to retake the class next semester and also the final exam. You know it?” I tried to comfort and cheer him. His source of pressure turned out to be a surprise to me. We were both under similar pressure; it was all about study, projects and exams. As a result, I decided to share my recent experience with my poor friend, and encouraged him, “Students are all the same, I think. Most of us work really hard. The only proper thing you need to do right now is to release your stress, and adopt a healthy way of living”. It was kind of frustrating when I saw him shaking his head firmly, and heard him saying, “I’ll try my best.” After we completed the project, he went directly to Wolf House where there was a psychologist who was supposed to offer counseling service and help university students.
I did feel sorry for my friend about what he was going through in recent time, and after his leaving, I started to think about my unhealthy lifestyle, and started worrying. But a few moments later, I made myself calm down, and it was at this time that many questions begun to poor into my mind in a flood. “Why do I always bring negative emotions into every corner of my life? I have to bear in mind that what my parents expect from me is only to live a healthy life.” I was lost in thought…Then I turned off my laptop