It's no secret that college students have difficulty with time management. Prioritizing isn't always our expertise, and because of that, we can wind up in situations that are less than likable.

These situations then bring along absurd additional doses of stress -- stress that was neither anticipated, nor prepared for -- which leads to unwanted emotions, mental breakdowns, destructive coping techniques, etc.

You know what stress I'm talking about, and you hate that you do.

How do we avoid the overdose of negative feeling? Is it possible to even do so?

Well, the answer is yes, and here's how.

1. Make realistic goals.

You're here in college to follow your dreams, or maybe just to discover them. The bar is set high for some, lower for others, and you have no idea which one is right for you. Considering you know yourself the best, you need to set your own expectation bar.

2. Set a tentative bedtime.

I'm not saying something embarrassingly early, but just having a little voice in the back of your head that's accustomed to hitting the sheets at a certain time could end up being pretty helpful.

3. Develop a coping mechanism.

You know, for when things still don't go exactly as you planned -- because they won't about 99.9 percent of the time, and that needs to be okay. You can prepare, you can anticipate, you can be ready with a backup plan.

4. Enjoy social activities.

Don't spend all of your time taking unnecessary pictures, posting MyStories or applying filters to the photos. Have fun with the living humans in front of you for two seconds without feeling the need to let the digital world know about it.

5. Keep your dreams in mind.

As stupid as it sounds, you better believe I'm being serious. Thinking ahead and anticipating the kind of future you want will help motivate you to do what you can to get there. You have the ability to achieve your goals as long as you continue to reach for them.

The purpose of time management is to allow you to be where you are. This means that you shouldn't be hanging out with friends while stressing about the homework you have yet to do. You should be 100 percent present.

We were made to be goal-setting and goal-achieving individuals, all complete with our own dreams and intentions. We were made to do this, so we can do this, but it must start with proper management of our time.

Finding the balance between all of the aspects of life, whether needed or simply wanted, only comes through experience. A little trial and error goes a long way if you let yourself learn from it.

So, work hard, be ready for the mistakes, be present for the fun, allow yourself to recharge, then do it all over again. It'll all be worth it.

--A College Student