It's 12:50 PM. I haven't made my bed or brushed my hair, and I'm lucky to have put a different shirt on. Yet, I've been awake since 8 in the morning.

When I look onto my floor, I see a mass of textbooks and spiral notebooks that I never really wanted to see. I have a nervous feeling that flickers on as soon as I look down, and I'm quick to tell myself that this abundance of work will be impossible to complete. Despite this, it is mostly finished, because that is all that I have spent my day focusing on.

Prior to approaching my first year of college, I told myself that I needed to create realistic goals in order to keep my work flowing and my confidence level high. Now, I am left wishing that I had only listened to myself.

Yesterday, I turned in my first exam. The room began to spin as I clicked the 'Finish' button, and my mind instantly resorted to thoughts of, "Yeah, you're going to fail," and, "Now they'll know just how stupid you really are."

Among all of this negative commotion that I attacked myself with, for the first time, I told myself to stop.

I am only one person. Nobody is expecting me to achieve completely perfect grades with some high-status beside my diploma. It is unnecessary for me to mentally bully myself each time that I grow tired of all of this work. I need breaks, too. I am not superhuman, and I can only do my best.

I fear failure above all other things. I see myself succeed, but I am quick to compare myself with those who are succeeding just as well. I am even quicker to tell myself that I am less than those people.

But for the first time, I want to let myself know that I am the best version of myself. All of my hard work isn't for nothing, and I should be more than proud of all of my accomplishments. I want to realize that I have only just begun college and that I have all of the time in the world to change my mind about my current decisions or to completely fall in love with my current decisions.

I can't make the most out of all that I worked for if I'm not willing to let myself make the most of the time that I am working. Now, more than ever before, I want to peer off into the distance beyond this computer screen and take in all that is around me. I want to realize that my life is not meant to be confined in word documents and my backpack. I am more than the school work that I continuously beat myself up over.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go make my bed and brush my hair.