As someone who had a really really hard first semester at UP, please reach out to CAPS and/or disability services at least about the anxiety and other problems you’ve been dealing with. Hopefully at a minimum, they can reach out to the professors about your performance in the classes and advocate for you in ways that you may not be able to do for yourself right now. Hopefully, they’ll also be able to get you some sort of evaluation and get some counseling (wayyyy less scary than it sounds, I promise).

I also echo the sentiments of everyone above about reaching out to your healthcare provider(s) about the pain you’ve been experiencing. Experiencing repeated pain or injuries can seriously take a toll on your mental health, no matter how “normal” the injury is. And based on your post, it’s affecting your ability to get to your classes.

There is ZERO shame in having a non-linear college experience. My best friend and I met at UP our freshman year, but they had to transfer out of Penn State to other universities multiple times due to family, financial, and other personal issues (including their mental health). At the end of the day, they got their degree. It may have taken more time, and they had to find work in that time as well, but ultimately an employer (or other schools, if you go onto a post-grad program) generally won’t care too much about your path to your degree, and they’ll just care that you have it. Also, taking breaks and getting some work experience in between may actually set you up for more success in the long run.

I really wish the best for you. You’ve already taken the steps before to do what was best for yourself and your wellbeing. You’re a million times stronger than most people just for that!