Citing an unreasonable work load and burdensome student debts, incoming freshman Emily Flowers is allegedly “burnt out.”
It didn’t take long for the toll of college to catch up with Flowers. Witnesses say she was only halfway through her first course of the day when she broke down sobbing.
“It was really awkward,” Flowers’ classmate Jonathon Howard said. “The professor was just going through the syllabus, and mentioned that he didn’t accept late work, and then she just … screamed. It was blood-curdling. And then she buried her head in her arms and sobbed quietly like a wounded deer.”
Several hours later, after she had regained her composure, Flowers was able to give a statement.
“At this point, I’m not sure if I have the emotional capacity to continue with my college education,” she told reporters. “Orientation alone was stressful enough that I really should have taken a break. But I decided to keep going, unaware of the enormous workload that was about to hit me like a ton of bricks. In just one week, I had to buy my books, get my UCard, learn my way around campus, move into my dorm, do back to school shopping and continue to work at Old Navy to pay for it all. I was doing 20 hour days, powered by multiple cups of coffee. I did it, but this lifestyle isn’t sustainable.”
A spokesperson from ASUU has said that they are trying to make life less stressful for students at the U in order to avoid similar tragedies in the future. One solution set to be implemented in 2016 is a series of oxygen stations throughout campus. Whenever a student is feeling overwhelmed, they can just take a few hits of some nice calming oxygen. Another proposal suggests that classroom chairs be replaced with massage tables so students can receive relaxing and soothing massages during their classes.
In the meantime, sources say Flowers has traveled to a Tibetan monastery where she hopes to find some comfort after her arduous experience.