I’m surprised at how many people I here complaining about their everyday ‘struggles.’ Do we really understand what the word struggle means? If we got a handful of children from different countries to define the word ‘struggle,’ do you think they would all have the same definition? Probably not.

As a student, you are faced with a lot of burdens; student loans, good grades, relationships and making sure your mind doesn’t explode. Although we have to deal with all these hardships, you must consider how hard life is in comparison to others. Just think about it for a second – is your life really that bad?

I’m sure you’re all up to your necks with readings and exam preparations by now. I’ll do you all a favor and familiarize you with some interesting issues that have taken place over the past few years. We should all know about the Syrian refugee crisis. Millions of Syrians have had to leave their homeland with their lives being threatened. According to the Globe and Mail, there are about 25,000 Syrian refugees currently living in Canada – all of which have had to start their lives all over again. All you have to worry about is the percentage you get on a database. Which life would you rather have?

You’re living in a first world country and are a student, you really should be a bit more grateful.

Let’s review why your first world life is awesome. In some developing nations, people are struggling to attain access to basic education, job opportunities and are exposed to extreme violence through war everyday. There are less overt tragedies as well, like organizations abusing their platform, presenting themselves as helpful,  when they are just using the global south as a means to make money. An example of an organization that does such a thing is called the Department for International Development (DfID). According to the Guardian, this organization has partnered with corporations to exploit children in countries such as Tanzania and Zimbabwe by funding low-cost schooling and health projects. As if vulnerable people need anymore entities stealing from them. When you consider these types of issues, do you still think you have it that bad? I’d imagine it wouldn’t be.

I’m not saying that anyone’s struggles are less important. However, we must really think about how others are living around the world before we complain about small things. So don’t stress, you’ll pay off that fifty-thousand dollar student loan some day.