Dear stressed out, exhausted, ready to give up version of myself:

You’ve reached that point in the semester when everything starts to blur together aka “the last month of school”. You’ve realized by now that, no, it never gets any easier. But it’s not the end of the world and you’re not alone here.

It seems like every day there’s a new quiz or a new project due or yet another 10-page research paper on something else you don’t really care about. It seems so unfair that all of this happens right before finals week as if finals aren’t enough to have to worry about. It seems like nobody else understands just how stressed you are and it’s so frustrating hearing everyone else complain to you about their problems as if you aren’t already stressed enough. It seems like it’s a contest to see who has the most stuff to do and who can get it all done without pulling all of their hair out.

I know things are hard right now. I know some nights you have to forfeit sleep in order to get that project done or finish that research paper. I know working while going to school is tough and it’s even harder trying to balance the extracurricular stuff, too. I know there aren’t enough hours in the day and sometimes you just shut down completely and want to hide from the world and all of your responsibilities. I know sometimes things seem like they’re never going to get better, but they will. I promise.

Please take some time off from the stress and focus on YOU.

School is important but taking care of yourself is important, too. Take an hour out of your busy day to do something that relaxes you. Take a bath, go for a run, cuddle with your puppy, or just take a nap. It’s OK to take a break sometimes.

Don’t be afraid to tell your friends ‘no’. Of course you want to hang out with your pals but please remember if you have to choose between going out or staying in for the night and catching up on sleep, please choose the latter. Your friends love you and they know how hard you’ve been working. They will understand.

Try not to neglect your family. They know how hard you’ve been working, but they still want to spend time with you. They may not always understand how much you’ve got going on because they may not remember just how hard it is to be a student but they love you and want you to succeed. Be patient with them.

And remember: even if nobody else truly understands how hard you are working, I DO. This will all pay off in the end, I promise.

And hey, summer is just around the corner. Think of summer break as your reward for surviving another semester of school.

Love,

Yourself