With the spring semester having begun for most of us, there’s a lot to look forward to: being reunited with friends, getting back into a set routine, and a whole new set of classes to occupy our time. While people like myself get excited picking out notebooks and making new schedules, academics are also undoubtedly stressful and annoying at times. Especially when the weather starts getting warm, homework can seem like a huge inconvenience.

Personally, school has always been a venue to showcase the best of my abilities and get those beautiful straight A’s that I worked so hard for. However, college isn’t high school—although I’m doing fine, the course-load is more demanding and the subject matter isn’t something you can just BS on test day (usually; there are definitely exceptions). Last semester, I encountered the most challenging class I have ever taken in my life and was truly surprised at how lost I could’ve become in the course if I didn’t continuously give my best effort.

I walked into the final for that class with my heart pounding and hands sweating; I knew it could go sour pretty easily. Luckily everything turned out okay, but I was pretty stressed out and just wanted it to be over.

I know I’m not alone in these feelings. In a survey by the American Psychological Association, 45 percent of teens say they experienced anxiety due to academics, with chronic stress leading to feelings of panic and paralysis in difficult situations. Our tendency to engage in “what if” thinking, or the type that turns a minor problem (getting a bad grade) and snowballs it into something major (I won’t get in to grad school), can cripple even the most level-headed student. Clinical psychologist Mary Alvord writes in an NPR article, “A little stress is a good thing…But too much stress can backfire.”

Which it absolutely can. School stress is sometimes good for motivation, and can lead to feelings of great accomplishment if you overcome it, but there is always a balance; if you feel yourself going overboard, take a second to breathe and put the situation into perspective. I promise, good grades in college won’t determine your entire life—just try your best, and you may even surprise yourself.