First, we all have had our share of rough semesters. We’ve had those semesters where nothing went right. The test you studied weeks for was a failure and the books you need, you can’t afford so you get behind. Girl, you are not in this alone, and you need to keep fighting.

My first semester of sophomore year, I missed the financial aid deadline and ended up having to pay for all my books out of pocket. It was fine in the beginning, but when you get paid biweekly and only in little amounts, it isn’t fine anymore. You miss deadlines and chapters haven’t been read. You just give up.

Well, you shouldn’t. I can’t say that it’ll get better but at some point, you’ll realize what you want and what makes you happy. I’ve had those days where I completely forgot an assignment was due to days where I just couldn’t get out of bed at all. I didn’t see the point in going to class if I still couldn’t keep up with my assignments.

On top of that, my social life was a wreck. I didn’t see my friends as much; campus housing became stifling because I didn’t have any friends and my love life wasn’t much to look at. Everything that I had built up freshman year, was falling apart. It wasn’t going to get better, I thought. But it did. My solution was my dog. Not saying you should get a dog, but having something to care for was what threw me back into the ring. I started attending classes more, and getting things done on time, because I had her to care for. It was like having a kid, and it sounded cheesy but I wanted to be proud of something. I got my schedule back on track and ended the semester with A’s and B’s. Not my personal best, but I did it and that’s all that mattered.

You just need to find your passion that makes the world seem brighter. Mine was a dog, but yours doesn’t have to be that. It’s not easy to get back up on your feet but it is possible and it will take a lot of time.