As I'm closing out my freshman year, I've been reflecting on how being the Editor in Chief for Odyssey at Ohio State has impacted my college experience. I realized that being a boss comes with many highs and lows, and since I've been avoiding studying by binge-watching the new season of Grace and Frankie, why not tie it all together?

1. When it's an hour before the deadline, and everyone suddenly needs you

You love that they can come to you when they need help. It's sometimes your favorite part of the job. But you know that 11:01 p.m. on Friday there will be about 23 messages in your inbox. You would set the deadline earlier, but that would only shuffle the inevitable.

2. When it's 10 a.m. and you see Inbox(197)

It never stops. Ever. You're constantly communicating with the people you're managing and the people managing you. This is especially challenging because while waking up late is a luxury, waking up an hour after everyone else's day has started is stressful. Talk about living life in perpetual catch-up mode. This problem could easily be solved by waking up earlier, but who wants to do that?

3. When you send out a team-wide email and get one response

I should honestly start including weird sentences in my emails and see if anyone notices. Maybe they think I enjoy spending at least half an hour of my Mondays composing an email that's debriefing them on the past week, including goals for the next week, balancing between being firm yet encouraging, and addressing problems without blatantly throwing shade. Not to mention all the time that went into planning the meetings, the debriefings, and the work that goes into creating their goals and tips to help them be successful. None of this is time sensitive - hahahahahaha. To the one or two people that respond quickly, I appreciate you.

4. When you have a lot of work to do but your brain is completely fried

If your mind isn't wandering by 4:31 p.m., I'm proud of you. One can only spend so much time strategizing community goals.

5. When you realize how much you're responsible for

This is one of those existential crises that I have frequently. I'm only 19, living on ramen and going weeks without doing laundry, and yet I'm managing a team of nearly 50 writers for a national publication. A publication that is one of the most well-known amongst my generation. Not to mention, we are the Odyssey face of the best Big 10 school (shameless #buckeyepride). I also submit articles for our printed publication, am involved in numerous extracurriculars, and have decent grades. When I see my own name pop up everywhere, I honestly wonder how I'm still alive. While I wouldn't change anything, sometimes it seems surreal. (PSA: Sometimes I am completely winging this job.)

6. When you have a typo in your team-wide email

You are constantly on top of your writers to check and double check their work. If you're in a case similar to mine, it is even your job to catch all grammar and spelling mistakes. So when your email to the whole team discusses the "team meating," you will probably - and reasonably - want to die.

7. When you realize your power

There's a little bit of a thrill that comes with realizing that people are actually scared to talk to you. This is ESPECIALLY true if you establish yourself as the HBIC (head b*tch in charge). While I would love nothing more than to be everyone's best friend all of the time, there are times that I have to step into Boss mode and explain the way that things are going to be. I will give you an extension, but too many missed deadlines, and I will give you the boot. It's not always fun, but it's what needs to be done. My funness and ~bubbly personality~ will never get in the way of productivity. Once people get to know me, they know I am not scary - unless they give me a good reason to be. When other employees tell me they were once nervous to talk to me, I get a bit of a laugh.

8. When the excuses don't add up

Yes, I understand that people go on lots of vacations. But every Thursday through Sunday night for five weeks in a row?

9. When no one makes their deadline

I know that life is hectic, but there are certain people (we all know them) who can't make a deadline to save their life. And sometimes when those people fall short, and hectic lives all line up perfectly, and your life is also crazy but you're making time for everyone, you feel like Frankie. In the interest of not burning bridges, me losing my sh*t is me sitting on the couch, grunt-screaming, eating ice cream, watching TLC and refusing to answer my phone. We've all got our thing.

10. When you deliver the perfect, ass-kicking speech to your team

Chances are, you're all out of free passes. You're done with the excuses and laziness. At this point, you construct an email or announcement that is the perfect balance of fair and tough. You let them know that you want them here, but if they are going to be, they have to shape up, or you will let them go. They know you mean business. It's not always fun to step up and push them, but that's how people grow and you know it.

11. When you somehow get it all done

Against all odds, you made the deadline, hit your numbers, and were a smashing success. I've only been EIC for a few months, but in that time our team has nearly tripled, our page views are up by over 200,000, and we are virtually unstoppable. Despite all the long hours and frustration, I love you, Odyssey at Ohio State; I really do.