Dear Fall 2018,

I thought you were the semester that would end me, since I had to take way too many hours to keep my scholarship. And I won't lie-- it was rough. Without a doubt, you were my most difficult academic experience ever. But now that you are distinctly past tense, and I came out alive and well, I believe it is time for me to put a positive spin on this most challenging experience, because this is the only way I know how to move forward with my typical optimistic disposition,

At the time, I really despised you for taking up all of my time. Even when I wasn't at school, when I wasn't doing homework, I had to think about my lessons so I wouldn't fall behind. But in hindsight, I suppose I can appreciate you for teaching me a lot about focus and dedication.

At the end there, you really had me at my wit's end. For better or for worse, you forced me to confront mental health issues that I tend to leave unacknowledged. Because of you, I had to identify healthy coping mechanisms, just so I could continue to function like a normal person. Although this was miserable at the time, now I believe I understand myself and my limitations much better.

Because I came out of Fall 2018 alive and with my 4.0 GPA somehow still intact, I feel like I can stand against most academic challenges. And next time school starts to feel overwhelming, because I'm sure it will, I can use the healthy coping mechanisms I learned from the Fall 2018 semester. And I suppose this also goes to show that there's a silver lining to most situations, even if you can only see them in hindsight.