I had always prided myself on being self-reliant, tackling challenges on my own without leaning too heavily on anyone else. But college, with its relentless pace and mounting expectations, began chipping away at that stubborn independence. It started with small setbacks, a low mark on an assignment here, the crushing pressure of midterms there. I'd convinced myself I could handle it all, that I didn't need anyone to steady my course. Yet, lately, the weight of it all felt unbearable.
One particularly long evening, I sat at my desk in our cramped study nook of the girls' dorm, surrounded by textbooks, scribbled notes, and the soft glow of a desk lamp. I was re-reading the feedback on an essay I'd poured my heart into. The red annotations stung more than I expected. My professor's comments
