To the tired college student,

You know more than anyone just how hard school can be. Not only do you take five classes, but you're involved in clubs on campus, sports and activities, and you still want to have time to hang out with your friends. College is harder than you ever expected. You thought you would be going to parties every weekend, staying up late doing crazy things with friends and having tons of fun every single day. I think it's safe to say you were a little let down by the time the end of your first semester rolled around, but don't let that deter you. College may not be all sunshines and rainbows every day, and you may have only slept five hours in the past two days, but it will all be worth it in the end.

Yes, it is important to go out and have fun with your friends. And, yes, it is good to not do homework on a Friday night, but keep in mind the whole reason you're here. You're here to get a degree. You're here to study what is interesting to you. You're here to prepare for the future. Every time you stay up until 1 am to finish that ten page paper, you're one step closer to your dream. Every time you roll into your 8 am with your pajamas on and your hair unbrushed, you're making an effort to show that you care about your classes (even if your appearance doesn't show it).

College is supposed to be the best four years of our lives. Even though we are sleep deprived students who just want to have fun with our friends, we need to realize that we all went to college for the same reason. We don't want to stay up studying until the sun is rising, but we still want to walk across that stage in four years with our best friends by our side. We make these sacrifices now, but we get a huge reward in the end. Keep drinking coffee, and when you have time, sneak in a quick ten minute power nap. We may be tired now, but we'll be glad we barely slept when graduation rolls around.

Sleep tight!