"I'm so freaking stressed out, I'm going to die!"

I say that exact sentence at least 100 times a day, just like every other college student. We are all working hard to get our degrees and get a good job; however, there are some days where the work just consumes us.

College can be a LOT. A lot a lot. It's the last four years of "freedom" before it's time to step out into the real world. It's where one test in one class can make or break your GPA. And it's where you begin preparing for all that life is going to throw at you.

My second semester of freshman year, I was taking two English classes, two communications classes, and an anthropology class. As you can probably imagine, there was a lot of reading and writing I had to do which was very stressful to try and keep up with. Just when it couldn't get any worse, I had three papers, a test, and two presentations to do. All. On. The. Same. Day.

I remember that week very vividly in my head. Many tears, many late nights in the coffee shop, and lots of phone calls to mom.

I knew that I was managing my time as well as I could've and that I was putting all of my efforts into my work, but I still felt more than overwhelmed.

After talking with my mom, she advised me to "go get a coffee, lay in bed and read a book." My brain had been going at 150 miles per hour all week, and it needed time to recover.

This was one of the first instances that reminded me how important mental health is. It's not like a broken bone, where you can see the swelling and go to the doctor to fix it immediately. Mental health is something that isn't always taken seriously because you can't see it, but that's why it's so much more important.

Students need to take the time to help their mental health; eat a cookie, watch a movie, take a nap, or for all the juniors and seniors, have a nice glass of wine. Taking care of yourself doesn't always mean putting a Band-Aid on a cut or taking medicine when you're not feeling well. That glass of wine probably helps people relax faster than the medicine.

Midterms are around the corner and soon after it will be time for exams, so remember: your mental health comes before any grade. Study for an hour or two, then go watch a movie or hang out with some friends, you'll be surprised at how quick that stress will melt away.