No matter what major or career path you choose, college years are stressful and full of unexpected twists. In the midst of this journey of self-discovery, we focus on getting exceptional grades, buffing up our resume and pulling endless all-nighters that leave us full of jitters from our all-coffee diet. We forget that we are only human, and we must be kind to ourselves. 

I remember my first all-nighter, and the odd stares I awoke to after I fell asleep in the comfy chairs of the library café.  These nights were times that I neglected my body telling me what it needed. Rarely do I listen to my body when it says, “I’m tired,” or, “I can’t study another word of this organic chemistry.” 

My brother always told me, that to succeed, you have to learn to study smarter, not harder. My mother always reminded me that without a good night’s sleep, all of my hard work will go to waste. Even my professors reminded me that cramming is only a last resort, not a saving grace. With all this advice in mind, I have compiled a way that we can be kind to ourselves while also being successful.

Be organized. By staying organized, we can plan our schedules ahead of time, and not have to cram the night before.  By spending 30 minutes a day on each class, give or take some, we can better prepare ourselves for upcoming tests and retain information more efficiently. Organization and thorough planning can be achieved through simple Post It notes, reminders on your smart phone, a daily planner or simple to-do lists.

Stay positive. During the long weeks with two to three tests, we often forget to speak kindly to ourselves. Whether we get a lower grade on a test than we would have liked, or forget to do that online homework due by 11:59 p.m., we cannot make a habit of constantly speaking negatively to ourselves.  Learning from our mistakes is part of college life, but so is not letting it define us. Everyone has bad test days, or forgets to do an easy assignment, but we are intelligent and driven students and must remind ourselves of this, even during these rough weeks.    

Exercise and go outside. Despite the availability of many plastic surgeries, we are only given one body to live in during our life. We must take care of it. With a campus as beautiful as Virginia Tech, and a town as quaint as Blacksburg, it is easy to spend the day walking or running the huckleberry trail or exploring one of our awesome gyms on campus. To really get a good exercise and mental break, try hiking up to the Cascades or Dragon’s Tooth.  When we exercise regularly, we not only get to enjoy all that Blacksburg has to offer, but we can help ward off those pumpkin spice latte calories and soak up the health rewards of exercising.         

Eat that sweet treat. Whether your weakness is the chocolate chip cookie at ABP, or the delicious crepes at Turner, it is okay to indulge in these sweet treats once in a while. After a hard week of exams, or an emotionally challenging one, sometimes a brownie or scoop of ice cream is just the medicine we need. Forget the calories for just this once, and reward yourself for making it through another week of college alive. In moderation, sweets will not kill you. Be kind to yourself and indulge in that cookie! 

Spend time doing what you enjoy. For me, this would be sitting in a coffee shop with friends, catching up and laughing about the stupid things we did that weekend, or planning the ridiculous things we will do this weekend. If yours is watching Breaking Bad or Grey’s Anatomy, schedule this in once in awhile.  We only get one chance at this life, and we should enjoy every second of it. When our minds are drawing blanks, or the letters in our textbooks begin to blur, take time for yourself. You will be able to come back to studying later with a better outlook on the material and a clearer mind.    

Some of these ideas sound hard to manage with our busy schedules, but that is why being organized is crucial to becoming kind to yourself.  I often forget this, and begin to get down on myself about that bad chemistry grade, forgetting to turn in Spanish homework, or even when I am not as good of a friend as I could be. When you see a friend doing this to themselves be kind, and remind them that they are not defined by the one bad grade they get, or one unkind behavior. They are defined by how they handle these situations.