Hey Friend,

I've been there, too.

It seems like yesterday was a winter break, but now you're stuck in your study corner in the middle of a new semester. Deadlines are written all over the pages of your planner. Countless books are stacked all around you and on your desk. Study notes are scribbled on scraps of paper, eventually resembling an illegible formula more than something from a book. You've read the same words long enough that they all begin to look the same. The words start to get blurry and your eyes red.

Some of you may be halfway to your next break, but others may have farther to go. You may be running on a few hours of sleep and feeling like you're only half in touch with reality. When you close your eyes, you fall asleep thinking of the hundred things you need to do. You may be drinking more coffee and caffeine than you should, just so you can make it through. Stress, anxiety, and worry may be consuming your thoughts. You just want it to be over; the lists, papers, assignments, and deadlines. It's all a little too much. Midterms will be here before we know it, but I know you can do it.

You are a fighter, and this is no exception.

Even in the chaos, there can be calm in your heart.
Even in the hustle, there is hope for brighter days.
Even in the pain, there will be a peace that you can find.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. There is a rainbow at the end of this season. There are golden days to experience; days when sun rays glimmer through the trees, bringing warmth to your body. There are days ahead of thrilling adventures, windows rolled down with a cool breeze whipping through your hair, and laughing with your friends until your sides hurt. You will be able to catch up on sleep, breathe a little easier, and finish strong.

This is simply another chapter in the book of the story you are living out.

Don't get so focused on a grade or two numbers and a dot that you forget about yourself and others around you. You are more than a degree or the results of a test.

Don't let the key to your worth be put in any other pocket or place other than your own.

Remind yourself to eat well and take care of yourself. Take breaks to refocus and enjoy life. Sleep when you can. Take deep breaths and tell yourself it's going to be okay. It really will be; maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will be soon.

Turn up your favorite tunes, open your laptop, and have a study session with your best friend. One day at a time, you will get closer to your destination and be able to soon say "I made it." Until then, don't wish it away, be afraid to ask for help, and just take one assignment at a time.

Few things will look the same a year or more from now.

Hold your people and the present close to you. Be kind to your roommate who is getting on your nerves, those who are struggling, and even those you don't know. Smile even when you feel there is nothing to smile about. Sometimes the smallest things make the most difference in a day. Be the change that makes a difference in the simplest tasks and seemingly insignificant, tough days.

Celebrate the fact that you are here in this present place for a reason far greater than you know. If you opened your eyes this morning and you felt your heart beating, you received a gift today.

You are NOT alone in this.

I'm cheering you on and pulling for you, friend. I see you doing your best and am proud of you for putting one foot in front of the other. I feel certain that no matter where you are in your journey right now, you will be just fine.

"There is something more waiting for you. You have much bigger work to do. So take my hand and don't look back. You were made to carry bigger things than the small stories you tell of yourself. Say it as we go: Bigger than this. Bigger than this." — Hannah Brencher