
Hey Juliette,
You wrote to us in early November, of last year, saying that you were depressed. It’s currently May of 2025 and we haven’t heard back from you. If you’re still depressed, don’t worry about updates. But, please worry about your health.
Depression is caused by one of 2 things, it’s either caused by a genetic chemical imbalance in the brain (in which case medicine is the only treatment- no cure), or it’s caused by some circumstance going on in your life. If it’s circumstantial depression, then it won’t get better until your circumstances improve.
Please focus on identifying the type, and source, of your depression. If the problem is circumstantial, and massive (like school grades), try focusing less on the problem itself, and more on the small goals you can accomplish to help you overcome your problems.
Example:
If getting into college is your concern, consider this- “getting into college” is actually a means to an end. The real goal is “employment at a good job”. As long as you can reach the end point, the means isn’t as important.
Focus instead on figuring out what job you want, what exact credentials that job requires for employment, and whether or not that is still feasible for you. If you can’t get your dream job, getting a “good” job is still an option.
If you’re struggling to get into a good college, maybe set your goals a bit lower?
Look for a job that will hire through alternative methods, such as job transfer from a related field.
Let’s say I want to work for a major company, but my grades aren’t good enough to get into a major university. Maybe I will start by working for one of their suppliers.
Getting hired at a small supply company, won’t require the same elite college degree. From there, I would add certificate programs to my resume. Many certificate courses can be learned on your own time and/or online. If you speak English fluently, you can apply for American online vocational courses. They are easy to qualify for. Just be sure they are provided by a school with reputable accreditation.
I would get certificates in various related subjects (management, accounting, marketing, personal speaking, etc) so that I would seem more appealing to my employers. I would put a lot of effort into standing out at work by having a positive and friendly attitude, being helpful towards others, and seeming diligent and organized. These are key traits that employers love! If I could later become a low ranking manager of that company, I would be qualified to transfer into the main company, that I originally wanted to work for, as a low ranking personnel. From there, the sky is the limit. Keep climbing!
It’s the same for many other jobs. Set your immediate goals lower and work your way up by adding credentials to your resume, bit by bit, while being already employed. This takes the PRESSURE off of you from needing to succeed at tasks that have millions of qualified competitors, while having no current achievements, not to mention your feelings of failure every time you fail a test.
“An achievable plan” is better than spending years stressed out over what you can’t accomplish.
On the other hand, if the only problem is your grades- change your study habits.
The human brain can only focus for so long. Studies show that our attention span has a half-life, just like chemicals. You start losing focus after 30 to 50 minutes. So each half hour, stand up and stretch for 2 minutes. This will get your blood flowing and will improve circulation. This keeps your muscles from getting sore and brings oxygen to your brain. Next, switch subjects, or study methods.
For example:
Go from “studying flash cards” to “watching tutorials online”.
Go from “copying down key phrases (100 times each”) to “asking a friend/sibling to quiz you”.
Go from “writing out useful facts, using the tune of your favorite song, and then singing it until it sticks in your head. That way you can sing it silently during the test”, to “turning the subject material into a fun game by printing out facts on paper, cutting them into cards, and adding some rules/penalties (You can do a trivia quiz game with “reasonable” consequences NO DRINKING SHOTS)
You’d be surprised how much “enjoying what you study” will improve your memory and focus.
Ignore traditional beliefs that you should study quietly at a desk. Some people study better with background noise, while other people study better in silence. Some people study better in places with busy surroundings (cafes, etc), while some people prefer complete isolation. Some people need to change their environment, throughout the time they study, in order to “change their mood” or “refresh their mind”. Everyone is different. Do what works best for you.
Anyway, feel better soon! I’m rooting for you!
hi everyone
i will be dropping this story for a while i dont know how long as i have fallen into a state of depression and i am not sure i habe enough energy to translate this
it ends on chapter 120 so if anyone feels like uploading it feel free to do so