Hey,

So, I know how you feel. I have been there before--who am I kidding, I am there now. Everyone says college is about having fun and making lifelong friends--that’s true but there is so much that they do not tell you. No one thinks to warn you about the unearthly amount of sleepless nights a college student will be faced with, the splitting headaches that a student gets when looking at the piles of homework they are tackling, or the drama that comes from an anonymous post on a stupid app. So look, I know you are worn out and want to give up, but I promise there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel we call college.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” -Matthew 11:28-29.

The verse above speaks circles around how a college student feels. We are weary and we are burdened, but we can make it through. In the almost two years of being at college, I have learned some important lessons about the college experience.

For starters, college has its fair share of ups and downs, but just like life you have to ride the rollercoaster and scream on the terrifying parts. I often find myself telling my friends that I am an inch away from dropping out to live on the side of the road in a TV box, but often they laugh and say “yeah right.” The funny thing is they are right--no matter how stressful college gets, I will never survive on the side of the road in a box because I enjoy the warmth way too much.

Secondly, being worn out in college has taught me about the limitations of myself--what can I handle and what makes me want to find a dark cave to live in. I have found myself testing the waters of an all-nighter, but to no avail I slept. I have spent eight hours in a library, but after about three hours I was about to pull all of my hair out. I signed up for a ridiculous amount of clubs and organizations, but I only stuck with one. The point is in the two years of being there I have learned how much I can handle without committing myself to death by stress.

Lastly, I have learned that a support system is the key to any college experience. Have the support system whether it be your friends, your significant other, your parents, your siblings, your advisor or the random person that you met in the caf while eating a bowl of cereal, just have that care and love coming from somewhere because you are going to need it. We can only do so much alone, but with a support system, we are almost invincible--well maybe not invincible, but definitely able to do more.

So smile because college is tough, but hey many people have made it through and so can you.

With good faith,

The college student that knows what it’s like.