College is an interesting place. It's both heaven and hell on Earth. There will be way too many things happening all at the same time. You might find yourself picking between studying for your huge biology exam and helping one of your girlfriends through more boy drama. Perhaps you're struggling to keep up with your math class because you're more stressed about your friends. Consider yourself lucky if you even get a decent amount of sleep at night (and by decent, I mean four to five hours).
Balancing academics and a social life can be pretty hard. That's where a lot of stress roots from. One night you're pulling an all-nighter to study for a test you have in the morning and the next night you're blacked out and "getting lit" with your friends. This is the way of life for many college students; it works perfectly for them. But, unfortunately, it's not always for everyone.
If you're in the latter group, know that there's nothing wrong with that. It could be because you noticed the partying was affecting your academics in a negative way. It could be because you found yourself surrounded by the wrong people. It could be because you need to take a break and cleanse. Whatever the reason may be, it is acceptable to take a step back.
In the midst of everything that is going on, the possibility of losing yourself is high. It happens. You won't realize it in a snap, but, when you do, don't be afraid to drop everything and do what it is necessary to pick yourself up again. Take some time away from everyone and everything that dragged you down. Use the time to reevaluate yourself, accept your flaws, come to terms with your mistakes, and cleanse altogether.
There is nothing better than focusing on yourself and getting back on track. You will have contentment. You will learn to value yourself more. You will be in a better place than before. That is very, very important because you won't have any motivation at all if you don't have a positive mindset, to begin with.
We've been told countless times that our time in college is some of the best years of our lives, but don't let that make you feel like you're going to miss out. I guarantee you that you won't. You will be fine if you skip those crazy nights. You've still got your whole life ahead of you to have all the fun you want. You won't be stuck at a nine-to-five job you can't stand as long as you prioritize yourself and your goals starting now. Work really hard, so you can play even harder later on. You will thank yourself for it.
