After nearly one full semester under my college career belt; I believe I am perfectly capable of giving pieces of advice to the high school seniors that are picking out their dream school. In fact, high school seniors at my Alma Mater are already asking me for advice when it comes to their first year. It took me a while to think of things to say, but after tonight I think I have an answer. My absolute best piece of advice to give to incoming first-year college students next fall is this; Have a support system. Make some awesome friends and call your parents when you need to talk. Make sure you sculpt that system. Be sure you can rely on it and that it will be there for you through it all.

How did I come to this conclusion, you ask? Well, it happened when everything seemed impossibly hard.

Currently, as I’m writing this to you, it is 2:45 in the morning. I’m feeling down. I’m tired as hell. I also think I have a cold. I just finished a paper I’m not confident on, and I still have mountains to mountains of work to do. I am taking my first break I have had all day and am eating for the 8th time since 5:00 this afternoon.

Earlier this evening, one of my closest friends I’ve made here, who is too far away at the moment to hug, was cheering me on to get that essay done and over. He was assuring me that this should be a cakewalk for someone like me who lives for these kinds of essays. He did the same exact thing for my last essay, and I’m hoping that he will do the same for my next one. He believes in me even when I don’t. I can’t thank that guy enough for it.

For the past week, getting out of bed has been hard. On top of that, all of my classes (including my favorite ones) seem to be out to get me. There are more pizza boxes in my dorm than there are days in a week. The amount of Soda bottles and coffee cups I’m finding under my futon is scaring me, and I have an alarm on my phone set to check if I need ibuprofen. Did I mention I’m tired?

Later today, I will go to my 9:30 a.m. philosophy lecture and try to stay alert and take notes. After that, I will indulge in my creative writing class and enjoy my time creating works of poetry and fiction that get me excited. Before my Astronomy class, I will get tired. It is my wall of tired and sluggishness that hits me no matter what I do. I will sit in the Student Union and try to get it together and get a game plan going for when I get back to my dorm.

If they haven’t already, my father or my stepmother will text me. They will ask me if I’m doing okay if I’m sleeping alright and eating okay. I, from the bottom of my heart, thank them for it. Because, sometimes, I will forget to eat anything all day, or to drink water because it’s so hot outside, or to take a second and catch my breath.

My father, who is coincidentally a doctor, will give me diet advice so I can study without crashing like a rocket coming back into the atmosphere. He will tell me how the Detroit Lions are doing this season. He will tell me how to clean my newly pierced ears or how to clean up a scraped knee when you crash on your razor scooter getting to class. He will come to my first poetry reading and record it to watch for my amusement (and also, my absolute pleasure). He will even get up in the middle of the night and drive to the Emergency Room if I’m that burnt out.

My stepmother will make me laugh. She’ll send me quotes from our favorite movies, TV shows, and "SpongeBob" Episodes. She will tell me about my little brother and his crazy (and adorable) antics. She will make sure I know when Harry Potter is on and try to tease me to come home for dinner when I have an evening class (that offer will be enticing, every single time). She will drive out to see me, to take a beading class with me that I found during an arts festival and then take me to dinner with (seemingly) real food. She will buy me mac 'n' cheese and give me things I can nuke in my microwave.

Thanks to my loving, kind, and understanding parents; I know that I have the number one cheer team on all of the campus.

Here’s how I haven’t given up yet.

I suck it up and drive on.

This is something my father had told me when everything seemed like something I’d need Superman to do. He’s been telling me to do this ever since I was little. As much as I don’t like to admit it sometimes, it works.

Here’s how I’m applying it to college (and if you’re in my position, you should too).

I suck it up by taking a moment and sucking in a breath of fresh air. If I’ve already done that, and I don’t feel somewhat better, sometimes I go for a walk. Sometimes I take a shower and fix my hair. If my roommate doesn’t mind, I’ll dance around to a favorite song. I’ll write in my journal for a few minutes and angrily dot my I’s and cross my t’s. I’ll call a friend from class and ask them to meet up with me later. This can be anything that will make me feel better.

Once I feel better, I drive on. I sit down in my comfiest of clothes, and I get what I need to get done, done. I have to turn off my phone and my Wi-Fi on my laptop if I can. I have a to-do list of things that need my attention, and now I must give them that attention. At the end of it all; I just go and get it done.

For me, this is a process, one that is so hard to do and I’m still learning how to do. But after that, I will feel better.

No matter what grade I get on a midterm, no matter how overwhelming my to-do list is or how much of a paper I have to do, no matter how much the thought of quitting entices me. I always know how to handle it.

I suck it up, and I drive on.