as a stressed 17-year-old muslim girl, i need advice, assalamu alaykum
assalamu alaykum, i just need to get this out and ask for some guidance so i’m 17 and i live in a post-soviet country where people rarely support visible muslim ways of living, and i didn’t really have a space to vent. right now i’m applying to universities and trying my best, but everything feels like it’s falling apart. there’s been a string of things that i couldn’t control: some people suddenly stopped liking me, a teacher made big mistakes on my college papers, my SAT/entrance results were canceled for reasons i don’t understand, and my family’s money situation got worse. that last one crushed some of my plans - like i was hoping to attend a private university that still needs extra funds even if you get merit scholarships. maybe to some this sounds smaller, but for me it’s huge. i feel like i messed up my application to my dream school and i’m terrified of making my parents worry. i’m the eldest, so i feel like i should set an example, and instead i feel like a disappointment. after a while i kind of gave up. i started thinking maybe Allah is angry with me, like He turned away and i’ve lost the light (nur). i’m exhausted - sleeping at most 4 hours a night because of school and stress, my skin is breaking out, and i just feel awful about how i look and feel. please help me. what practical steps can i take to get back on track and feel more hopeful? how can i repair my mindset and my situation without losing my faith? i really want to recover and do better. P.S. please don’t scold me - you don’t know all of my circumstances. i’m grateful to Allah for my health, but this season feels like it’s defining my future and i feel like a burden on my parents who have spent so much on my education. any kind words, dua, or advice would mean a lot.