The build up to spring break is sometimes so exciting that it seems like nothing else matters. And then, it’s a week later, and you’re slammed with a 1,000 foot high wave of homework and group projects that are totally not as tropical and fun as the waves you just swam in at the beach.

It’s hard to keep spirits high when it’s Sunday night and you’re spending another evening cramming 15 hours of studying into five hours of panic.

It’s even harder when you realize that you have to do the same hellish morning commute at least 60 more times before the freedom of summertime finally arrives.

When you can’t even come up with three things to be happy about, feel free to return to this list and choose them at random. I promise they’re all things to smile about.

Good luck, kiddos. Summer’s coming soon.

1. That feeling you get when you slide in bed after a really long day.

2. The adrenaline rush after a good workout. Or a good burrito binge. Either one is fine.

3. Dogs. Dogs are good.

4. Cats. Cats are also good.

5. Steaming hot coffee.
1. 
   6. Ice cold coffee.
2. 
   
3. 7. Even lukewarm coffee makes me smile sometimes.
5. 
   8. Finding a $20 in your old coat pocket.
6. 
   9. Hugging your best friend after a long time apart.
   
   
7. 
   10. Getting a smile from a stranger on the street. As long as it’s not super creepy.
8. 
   11. French fries.
9. 
   12. "Gilmore Girls" is getting four more episodes and they’re literally filming them right now.
10. 
    13. Headphones were invented just so you can blast tunes as you walk down the street on a sunny day.
11. 
    14. There’s at least one person in this world that thinks you’re really amazing.
    
    
12. 15. Someday, your group projects will be over and you’ll never have to receive another GroupMe alert from that godforsaken group chat again.
13. 
    16. Did you know that we’ve sent 12 people to the moon since 1969, but only three people to Marianas Trench? That means we don’t know that much about the ocean and that mermaids could totally be real.
    
    
14. 17. Spring time means rainy days, and rainy days mean curling up under a blanket and snoozing.
    
    
15. 
    18. Minneapolis is getting a new stadium that looks like a flattened, smushed version of the Death Star and it’s totally hilarious.
    
    
16. 19. The concept of going to Starbucks to study and there being a big table open right as you get there.
    
    
17. 
    20. Look forward to graduation; it’s a day where it’s socially acceptable to run around campus popping champagne bottles.
18. 
    21. If you need a distraction, there are literally thousands of videos on YouTube solely focusing on people waking up from wisdom tooth surgery and saying ridiculous things.
    
    
19. 
    22. The feeling of getting a letter or care package in the mail.
    
    
20. 23. The fact that even though Spring means death by schoolwork, it also means that warm weather is coming back.
21. 
    24. Warm weather means you don’t have to wear boots every day.
    
    
22. 25. Warm weather also means that you can walk outside without your fingers threatening to freeze up and fall off.
    
    
23. 
    26. Even if you don’t get to graduate after this semester, you do get to come back for Fall semester; that means game days, Halloween and crisp, autumn weather.
    
    
24. 27. It is possible to own a flying squirrel as a pet.
    
    
25. 
    28. It is also possible to own a raccoon as a pet. And they have cute, tiny hands.
    
    
26. 29. You’re reading this article instead of studying, which means that your soul is at least still searching for happiness somehow.
    
    
27. 
    30. Apparently, Chipotle isn’t dangerous to eat at anymore.
28. 
    31. And Spotify has a cheap monthly Premium rate for students, which means you can listen to any music you want to with no ads. This isn’t a sponsored listicle item, it just changed my life.
    
    
29. If you wanted (or you weren’t broke as heck) you could go to the airport and buy a plane ticket for anywhere you wanted to go right. This. Second.
30. Singing really loudly in the car with the volume turned all the way up.
31. And apparently, cupcakes are no longer trendy. But that’s not sad, because donuts are the new ‘it’ pastry. Oh yeah.
32. If you finish your homework, you get to check that off your to-do list.
33. The feeling of waking up and realizing it’s only 3 AM, so you still have hours to sleep.
34. Procrastinating by cleaning your room doesn’t even count as procrastinating.
35. Even though it doesn’t seem like it, there are books out there that are meant to be read for fun. And someday, you’ll have time to read some of them
36. Sushi burritos are a thing now.
37. There are no rules about breakfast food, you can eat it any time of the day. And that’s beautiful