These last few weeks and the next few weeks of the semester have been an academic hell for me, and as I would presume for college students everywhere. There is so much to do, and it is SO nice out, I know for myself I’d rather just run to a park and hang out with friends or even kick back and relax by a lake of some sort with my family, but as we know those dreams will be replaced with research papers and hand-made finals study guides.

I wish I had a survival guide as I entered April, a month that I was nowhere ready for. In high school, April is filled with excitement, and prom, and even a short vacation, which is NOTHING like what I’m experiencing now.

For your own personal survival...

1.Avoid looking directly at the sun you will cry all over your laptop in your dorm room

I thought I'd start the guide with something that is probably the most important do not allow yourself to recognize the fact that it is sunny and 75, this will only cause a waterfall of tears. Yes, I can speak from experience.

2.Ice cream in the Dining Commons is the closest thing you’re going to get to going out for a frozen treat

The saddest truth of all is, you won't have time to go out for ice cream. Allow this to sit for a minute before continuing.

3.Take a study break and walk/run to your nearest park

This is important, allow yourself to relax and go for a nice walk or job Get your mind off the fact that you studied for 7 hours just to get a 0, it happens.

4.Make writing that dreadful research paper fun by blasting tunes while writing it, you won’t even notice that you’re doing homework!

ok, you will, but this will help.

5.Buy a cute sundress

I promise you retail therapy helps in EVERY stressful situation, also learned from experience.

6.On a rainy day, grab your rain boots and jump in puddles.

Yes, just like you're 10 again.

7.Allow yourself 10 minutes a day to have an academic/mental episode before you get back to dealing with it

You are allowed a few minutes a day to be sorry for yourself, until you MUST pull it together. You wanted to continue you're education with a college life, now deal with it. Sorry for the harshness.

8.Apply caffeine as much as you feel necessary

I don't even need to explain. If you're double-fisting expresso shots, nobody will judge you. Go for it.

9. Tidy up your room

A clean dorm room will not only ease your stress, but help you to feel a little better about one thing going on in your life.

10. Power through it

You can get through it. Picture the beach. Picture the field. Picture whatever It is that makes you excited to be free in three shorts weeks. You can do this.

Folks, we only have about three weeks left until we don’t have to worry about classes for an entire 4 months, so push through, make the most of it and attack your April.

Wishing you the least amount of stress...possible. xo