For most college students, we pretend to have our lives together at the beginning of the semester, especially the fall semester. It's a new year, a new start, and one day closer to graduation. We start the semester strong and motivated. We get up early every morning and make an effort to look presentable. We wear cute, new clothes. We get ready and have plenty of time to eat breakfast, and maybe even work on some homework. We read through the syllabus, highlight important dates and assignments. If you're anything like me, you organize your planner and color-code everything for a quick glance of organization. Not only is your school life organized, so is your "home" life. Whether you live on or off campus, the school year typically starts with a clean room, clean and folded laundry, and clean dishes. Everything has a place, and everything is in its place.

AND THEN MIDTERMS HIT...

Here are ten things that college students are all too familiar with by the halfway point in the semester:

1. Nike shorts, t-shirts and ponytails are an everyday occurrence.

2. Clean laundry and dishes on a regular basis is a luxury.

3. Breakfast means grabbing a Pop-Tart as you run out the door, already running late to class.

4. Due dates are synonymous with stress eating and no sleep.

5. Color-coded organization means nothing because things just keep piling up.

6. Textbooks find themselves buried under piles of dirty laundry in your bedroom floor.

7. Junk food becomes an acceptable meal replacement, and supper seldom occurs before 9 pm.

8. Homework nights consist of more Netflix watching than getting any homework accomplished.

9. You remind yourself daily of how organized your life was just eight short weeks ago.

10. All of the motivation that you had in August is now gone, and your motto becomes "C's get degrees."

But, on the bright side, we've made it halfway through the semester. Eight more weeks until Christmas break. Keep your head up, stay on top of assignments and the semester will be over before you know it!