Alright, we’re going to get pretty real this week. I’ll let you guys in on a little secret that’s really not a secret: college is frickin’ hard, and so is life. I’ve learned more this semester than ever before that some seasons of life are worse than others. We can talk about spiritual highs and lows in the Church all we want, but sometimes nothing can truly prepare us to walk through them until they hit. It’s during those times that we learn faith, hope, and resilience.

For some of us, the workload is what hits the hardest. Some majors are more time consuming or challenging than others, but they’re all difficult in their own ways. Whatever you’re studying, I understand the struggle of having lots to do and little time to do it. I’ve spent nights at my desk studying until two or three in the morning just to feel a little bit less like I’m going to fail. I’ve forgotten about assignments due to the overwhelming number of syllabi to check. I walked into a practical exam the other day and, when asked a question, told my professor, “Honestly, I don’t know.” Sometimes, these things are due to lack of preparation or procrastination, but more often than not they’re the result of on overloaded schedule.

For others, it may be physical health that gets them down. Staying healthy in college can be difficult. Eating well is hard when you have to pick from limited options in the dining hall or spend what little money you have on groceries. I’ve hit that wall in the semester where I can’t really stomach any more of the food offered on campus. I’d give almost anything for a home cooked meal at this point, and I know there are students who feel the same way. It seems like such a minute detail, but it’s hard to feel mentally strong when you feel physically terrible.

And still, there are other factors in play. Some of us struggle with strained relationships, whether they be with professors/colleagues, friends, or significant others. People are really hard to figure out sometimes, especially when you’re “trapped” on campus together (for lack of a better term). It can be really difficult to look at things with a fresh perspective after spending every day together and falling into the cultural norm of your school. From my experience, worrying about other people is one of the things that stresses me out the most.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I miss my family this year more than ever. I talk to them on the phone almost every day and can’t help but feel sad every time we hang up. There are days when all I want is to be at home, taking a nap on the couch in the living room, or having my morning coffee with my mom, or eating breakfast every morning with my niece like we used to. I’m incredibly jealous of people who live close enough to home to drive there any weekend they choose; I, like many other out of state college students, don’t have that luxury.

I’ll be honest, there are times when all four of these (and more) get to me. It’s really hard to hold onto hope when every day it feels like the same old routine: drag yourself out of bed, crawl to class, fulfill extracurricular/job responsibilities, complete homework, and go to bed dreading the cycle that will inevitably reset tomorrow. Now don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some good moments mixed in with the bad, but sometimes they’re really hard to see in light of all that surrounds them. I’ve spent way too much time this year crying and feeling miserable, and I’m sure there are others who can relate.

Now, after painting this sad picture of what college life is like, I want to remind you that there is hope. The times I feel the most whole are the times I take a break from the craziness of life and wrap myself in God’s presence. He is truly the only One who can make all the suffering and heartache go away. It definitely doesn’t always feel like it, but I promise that He is there. The tough part is figuring out what to do while we wait for things to get better. I was reminded today in church by a worship song I’ve been singing since childhood, “Forever I’ll love you, forever I’ll stand.” All I can do while I wait for things to play out is love Him and keep His commands. In doing so, I will find my greatest relief and strongest comfort.