Going back to school after winter break (or any break) is admittedly kind of awful. You have to spend time ordering or finding a way to borrow textbooks without breaking the bank, coordinating your schedule for the upcoming semester, and planning out everything from when your classes are to when you're going to study, eat, sleep, and socialize. It can really be a stressful mess.

But in the end, I have to say I'm kind of excited to go back despite the stress. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly excited to go back to an endlessly tiresome, stressful schedule, but I'm definitely excited to get back to my amazing sisters and friends, my incredible mentors, and my positively wonderful boyfriend.

College has brought me a lot of frustrations, but it's also brought me so many incredible joys, and more often than not, those joys outweigh the stresses by far. I have no doubt that a lot of you feel the same way.

We all dread that first day of classes, and we all dread the building homework loads even more. But being back with friends and loved ones in one of the most interesting cities to explore right in our backyard, being able to get away from home and regain independence of some sort again, makes it all worth it.

Even dealing with depression and wanting to do nothing more than lay in bed becomes worth it when I've got the support of my loved ones at school. Having a support system at school makes going back worth the impending stress, even knowing that my depression and anxiety are going to completely screw me up multiple times during the year.

That's because I know that I've got people who care about me, even when my mind tries to convince me that I don't, and I know that no matter what comes at me, these people will be here for me. I have no problem about going back to school, even with all that I know I've got to take on this semester.

Sure, I'm a little scared to face the insanity that is my schedule in the first three weeks of school, but I know that I'm not completely alone in the insanity. I know I have friends who feel the exact same way that I do, and I know that they're here for me, just like I'm here for them.

So for anyone who thinks they're alone, believe me, you're not. There's always others who are in the same boat in one way or another, and they're here to support you. Even if they don't fully understand your significant other, your friends, your brothers or sisters, your professors..., all of them want you to succeed, and they want to do what they can to help you do so. But you have to reach out to them.

And honestly, that's sometimes the hardest part about dealing with stress: Asking for help. Reaching out to others for help, even when you feel like you don't deserve it. But once you can do that, it becomes a little easier to handle all of the stress of college life. It will still be hard, and it will still be stressful, but it will be manageable.

So, to the upcoming semester, I say this: hit me with your best shot. I'm ready for you.