Dear Professors,

If I'm not participating in class, please don't take it personally, or believe that I'm just indifferent and that I don't care about my studies. You see, I suffer from anxiety. Most often, it's just a nagging sense in the back of my head that's constantly there, but I can ignore it for the most part. But every so often, especially now more than ever, it gets to the point where it takes over. Sometimes that comes in the form of panic attacks, or these incessant negative thoughts that I can't get rid of or ignore and they just consume me.

If I miss a deadline, please don't assume that I just procrastinated and then forgot about it. I could've been working very hard towards it, and then one little thing like a small panic attack will throw me off course. If I don't show up to class, please understand that it's because I can't keep focused because of all the racing thoughts in my head, not because I overslept or just didn't want to go.

Being a first-year student has definitely added to my anxiety. The stress and uncertainty of a new environment, a new style of education, a new way of life basically, is enough to make anyone's head spin, so I imagine what that'd do to you if you already had these nerves and thoughts on a constant basis.

Anxiety is an invisible disease that many people suffer from. Many, like myself, recognize that we have a problem and are seeking help so that I'm not forced to miss a class due to my symptoms. All I ask is that you work with us, help alleviate some of our fears. If we ask for an extension on an assignment because a panic attack got in the way of our work, please give it to us. If we ask for notes because we missed class, please be sympathetic. You don't have to give it to us, but if you do tell us to get them from a friend don't say, "If you wanted the work, you should've shown up to class."

This can apply for any mental disorder too, not just anxiety. No one asks for a mental disorder. These are things we can't control and we're working to fix them so they're not debilitating.

So professors, next time a student sends you a pleading email, take a minute to think about what they might be dealing with outside the classroom before you respond.