mp3: "Drop Out of College" - coping skills

The first time I heard "Drop Out of College" from coping skills I felt an immediate, lasting connection, and the reason why begins in 2011-2012. That's the year I graduated college and was diagnosed with anxiety. 

came in with wide eyes and misguided hope
left with more anxiety and no way to cope

Truthfully, it's likely I've always had it. I can remember feeling nervous on the way to school, during slumber parties, over-analyzing every single word someone said, counting the dots on my celling until I'd fall asleep at 3 a.m. and spending the months following graduation in a state of constant tears. It's a feeling of powerlessness that coping skills so perfectly encapsulates. Their acoustic-driven pop screams to be heard, and explores the notion that many graduates and non-college graduates have faced - what comes next and who helps you figure that out.

did i waste all of my potential
slaving away for a hollow credential? 
where's the button? can i hit undo? 
if you're not careful, it could happen to you

When you've spent four years chasing a dream, and you come out on the other side with "mountains of debt," and "three jobs just to pay the rent," who wouldn't feel the crumbling weight of fear? The thing is though, you somehow find a way to cope and there's a hopefulness amidst their strained shouts. I found my coping mechanism in medicine, Sailor Moon and this blog. It would seem coping skills find theirs in music, and their entire album relatable web content is a must listen. As someone who has struggled and continues to cope with anxiety, it's an empowering appeal, a reminder that none of us are alone in our attempts to make it happen. We're all trying to get by.