College is a roller coaster, a whirlwind of everything new and unexpected. There are good days and bad days; days when your biggest accomplishment is nailing the interview, and days when it's making it to your class five minutes late (instead of skipping altogether). Here's a list of all the things you should be proud of yourself for, even if your future employer may not be so easily impressed.

1. Stairs

We all know the sensation. The burning thighs, the labored breath. The red face as everyone from your class witnesses the signs of your strenuous labor when you reach your classroom. The ridiculously long time it takes for your heart rate to slow down afterwards. Your class on the fourth floor of the oldest building on campus really does validate the fact that you didn't go to the gym yesterday ... and the ice cream cone you're going to eat for lunch after this.

2. Eating Alone

Whether it's a rushed sandwich between classes or a long, lonely coffee shop study session, there's something about a table for one that feels empty. You could be a social butterfly who is used to having the company of at least two people, or you could be the tag-along friend that eats with whatever table has the most acquaintances around it. Either way, dining is always more comfortable when it involves other people. That's why the basic accomplishment of sitting in Chipotle for the entirety of your burrito without taking it "to go" back to your dorm room should really belong on your CV. Eating alone teaches you something about your own independence like nothing else.

3. Self Promotion

Resumes are hard, and even harder when you have NO BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE. When applying for scholarships, internships, or jobs, college teaches you to talk about yourself in a way that oozes professionalism and intelligence. Sometimes, it's only displayed in your word choice as you talk about being an entrepreneur when you mowed lawns in high school, because that's the overall extent of your working experience.

4. Socializing (In New Groups)

Remember that time when the teacher said "get into groups of three" and you looked around and realized you had no friends? And then it turned out to be a huge group assignment instead of an in class activity? College throws you into places with people whom you've never met before in a lot of "New and Exciting" ways (I'm give you the side eye here, Orientation Week). You really are the pro at initially awkward get-togethers.

5. Sharing a Living Space

Perhaps for the first time in your life, you're forced to sleep in the same room with another person, every day for several months. With something like half the living space you had when you were at home. If you're lucky, you and your roommate are actually the same person, and have the same sleep habits as well as levels of cleanliness, music tastes, and studying preferences. If not, prepare for some regular discomfort and compromise. College will teach you to revere the moments when your roommate goes home for the weekend, and you can finally lounge around in the same pair of sweatpants for 36 hours with Netflix, finally getting the "me-time" you desperately needed.

6. Meager Financing

With all those student loans looming over your head, you really should feel proud of yourself for only having Starbucks when finishing a paper the night before it's due. Keep this up, and by the end of the semester you'll totally have a free drink on your rewards card for finals week. Way to go, you're basically an extreme couponer!

All jokes aside, managing your money to get the most chicken nuggets out of your meager "food" allotment of your work-study paycheck is no easy feat.

7. Eating A Balanced Diet

Getting lettuce and tomato on your sandwiches counts as eating vegetables! Also, if I ate hashbrowns for breakfast and french fries for lunch, I can totally eat mashed potatoes for dinner. That's what they mean by a "well rounded diet," right? Your metabolism will only slow down as you age, but that really means it will never be as fast as it is now. Don't hate on yourself for having three desserts in a day, just make sure you eat the protein, grain and fiber to keep you healthy.

8. Speaking Up For Yourself

Grades don't always come easy and professors aren't always gracious. Which is why any successful college student knows to befriend their professors at the beginning of a semester, in order to argue and plead with them at the end of the semester. Even if you aren't advocating for those last few points to get a B, you may be talking to your advisor about a change in major. You might not know what you want to be when you grow up, but you know you don't want that, and so a change is necessary. From turning down a loan with an incredibly high interest rate to asking for more than minimum wage at the coffee shop job down the street, college teaches you to get what you need without guilt.

9. Speed And Agility

Waking up 10 minutes after your fifth snooze alarm finally goes off means you have less than 20 minutes to get ready, when you usually take an hour. It takes incredible amounts of mental and physical preparation to have your books in your bag and get out of the classroom at just the right time to be the first in the personal pizza line for lunch. Pure skill and determination is necessary when sliding into that study room, to catch the door before it hits the heels of the person who was usuing it a mere 15 seconds ago. College truly helps you build a mind and body that is able to do whatever you need it to do, exactly when you need it to happen. Except for stairs* (for some reason this won't apply to stairs).

*See point 1 for more information

10. Self Control

When it's time to resist the urge to click "next episode", or to deny the party invitation in lieu of your 8 AM class tomorrow, college teaches you just enough forethought to evaluate the consequences of your actions, and to plan accordingly. Whether that is choosing to only buy one box of Girl Scout cookies, or if it's finally closing out your Facebook tab in the library while you're doing research, college (and just being an adult really) is a series of challenges and choices of self control. No one likes to choose responsibly most of the time, but when you look around it becomes clear by the choices you've made that responsibility is the way to go.

College is a whirlwind time in your life, and often college students don't get much credit for just getting by. Truth is, every day can be a victory if you congratulate yourself on the little accomplishments, because they become the big accomplishments. Celebrating the little things will inevitably brighten your attitude and outlook on life, and help you live happy.

So go ahead, pat yourself on the back, because you made it through another day! Now go get yourself a treat. I promise you deserve it.