A recent study showed that the stress level for college freshmen was at an all-time high. And while most of the country spent the past year wondering what’s up with 20-year-olds and why they won’t grow up, for college students, I’m sure it was no surprise hearing that we’re a bit stressed.

So what is it? Why are students rating themselves as “below average” in mental health? Why are so many more counselors seeing depressed students using psychiatric medication?

As a college senior in my last semester, I can give one answer: the economy. In high school, we had all this pressure to get good grades and attend a top-notch university. But once we got there, the economy took a turn for the worse. While we watched our parents struggle to pay our tuition, we heard the stories of college graduates facing unemployment. Many summer internships became unpaid internships and part-time jobs decreased. So when the fall semester started, we were wondering how to pay for textbooks without asking our parents.

I currently have absolutely no idea where I will be in five months. And while I’m a bit nervous as to where I will end up, I know that there is one thing I will not miss about college: the stress.