My planner is the key to keeping my life together. I hate being without it, and I feel so uncomfortable not knowing exactly how my week is going to play out, especially how my weeks are going to turn out. It's easy to get caught up in the "to-dos" of life and the strict schedule of being a part-time student or employee.

I'm going into my final year of college, a scary thought, but I've learned so much as the years went by. One thing is that young adults love to find common ground by discussing how little time there is and that they have to do x, y, and z. I know I do because it is so easy to complain. It also limits how much we show of ourselves to others. Complaining about something like a professor or a grade is much easier than baring our deepest, darkest secrets with anyone.

What I've also learned after living away from home is that time is abundant. The key is prioritizing and to make the most of every second is to be intentional with it. It's important to figure out what's important and what's not. It's important to give yourself breaks, or else you'll turn into the absolute worst version of yourself. Mine came out quite a few times last semester and she was not pretty. It's important to be intentional with every moment of your life especially with the people that are in it presently.

This time of your life is full of change and at a rapid pace. You never know for sure who is going to be in your life next week, next month or next year. As weird as that may be, it's exactly why you need to make every moment count and cherish it. It doesn't have to be as frequent as seeing someone every week, but even just a quick text or phone call shows you're being intentional by reaching out.

As a college student, balancing your life is always the goal, and as everything starts piling on, we tend to accept the fact that balance won't happen and roll with the punches. I don't know about you, but I hate that feeling. I hate feeling like life is dragging me along, and I'm the one that has to keep up. It's tiring, and the burnout is never fun. But that's when you essentially grab life by the balls, or so everyone says, and really take the control back by giving every second of your time a specific purpose.

I have never felt angry at myself after taking care of myself by giving myself a break or letting myself binge Gilmore Girls for three hours. I have never felt angry at myself for taking one hour out of my oh so busy day to grab coffee with a friend and lending an ear to listen about his or her life for once.