College is hands down the most stressful experience in the world. The constant struggle to find where you belong, your career, your forever friends and your college sweetheart is sometimes too much for us. Everything is hard and the amount of times you want to cry during the week is not healthy. But positivity goes a long way and the belief that things will get better will keep you going.
The stress is very real.
Stress is inevitable for a college student, no matter what your major is or how you go about college, you will get stressed and want to break down at least once a semester. From term papers to finals, there is stress everywhere. The key to overcoming that stress is to find something that helps you deal and handle it. Working out, crafting, reading, hiking, fishing and basically anything that brings a little joy in your life is something you should hold onto tight and never let go. If all else fails, talk it out. There are services on campus that can help destress you and help you relax. I promise you that writing your paper will wait for you to go on a jog.
"So are you seeing anyone?"
The amount of times that you are asked this question from family members, friends and family friends is probably enough to pay for your tuition. First of all, please stop asking us this question because it is not all of our top priorities. Putting that aside, it is very stressful trying to find your college sweetheart. Everywhere you turn you see couples, not to mention all your friends are in happy, healthy relationships. And you can't even get a text back. It's hard not to get stressed out about not having someone to lean on and fall in love with, but you're in college. There is nothing wrong with being in a committed relationship, but there also isn't anything wrong about not being in one. Enjoy being single and not having to answer to anyone except maybe your mom. There will be plenty of time to find someone to marry and it might not happen in college, but it will happen.
Your plans.
Since you're in college you are probably here to get a career and plan out your life. Which is crazy to begin with because we are 18-21-year-olds and we have to make up our minds permanently about what we want to do with the rest of our lives. We don't even know if we want Easy Mac or McDonalds for dinner. It is more than OK to not know what you want to do with your life, contrary to what others say. Take your time figuring out what your passion is. Do not let the dollar sign influence your decision either. If you want to be a painter, be the next Picasso. Don't let others tell you what you want to do. Turn your hobbies and passions into a career.
Forever friends are hard to find.
The friends you meet in college are supposed to be the friends that you take to the grave. Which is a lot of pressure if you ask any college student. It's already hard enough to find a shirt that you want to waste money on, so finding people that you want to spend forever with is a little stressful. Let alone finding the right ones. Because in college, you make a lot of mistakes and friends are sometimes one of those mistakes. Find people that only lift you higher, encourage you to chase your dreams and pick you up when you're crawling. You need a really strong support system during the toughest, and most fun, years of your life. Join clubs and organizations to find the people that share interests and are interested in your life. Once you find them, they will be yours forever.
There is no way around stress and frustration in college, but I promise that it is worth it and cherish every moment of your tear stained breakdown. It will get better, maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will. Staying positive and overcoming obstacles will make the process a lot easier. Call your parents often, splurge on that steak dinner and don't give up on your dreams. Everyone that has succeeded has known stress and has had to struggle to get to where they are at. So just know that you are on the right path to be like them.
