As someone who is incredibly involved on my school's campus, friends and family members often ask me how I do it. If you want my honest answer, it's oftentimes not what you would expect.

I'm currently a sophomore Honors student studying Communications and Journalism. I'm News Editor for the school newspaper, secretary for the drama society's executive board, a writer and editor for Odyssey and a student ambassador for my school. I'm currently the lead in my schools play, maintaining a basic social life and relationship, as well as remembering to do basic things such as eating, sleeping, showering and calling my mom every now and then. School breaks are basically nonexistent, because I work a full-time retail job.

Involved is an understatement. I would be lying if I denied the fact that I collapse into bed every day after working well into the morning hours to finish my schoolwork. Coffee has become my best friend, my morning alarm my worst enemy. Sometimes, I feel like I'm running a marathon, and every time I reach the end of the finish line, it moves further away. I'm left to sprint harder and faster, only to have it move once again.

This drive began my first semester of college. I am a first-generation college student, and I felt the need to prove something, not just to everyone around me, but to myself. It was my first time living on my own, and I wanted to show that I could easily excel. I wanted to make my family proud, to show my parents that I was capable.

I'm not a strong student. To some people, good grades just come naturally, but not to me. I have to work and study like a dog in order to do well. My first semester, I passed all of my classes with a 3.85 GPA, the best grades I had ever gotten in my life. Hours upon hours of studying, organizing and highlighting ended up paying off in the end. I celebrated briefly, but made it my mission to do even better in the future.

To someone reading this, it may seem as if I lead such an unfulfilling life. How on Earth could I work so hard each and every day, only to continue working harder, almost as if I never actually achieved anything? Sure, it seems exhausting (and trust me, it is), but I find my lifestyle to be as rewarding and fulfilling as ever.

I know the value of hard work. I know how to prioritize and organize my life. But I also know how to take care of myself. I know the importance of self-care, even if it's as simple as eating a little extra ice cream after dinner, or taking a longer shower than normal. These things may seem simple, but in a life as busy as mine, they're crucial.

Yes, I'm definitely more stressed than the average person. I drink more coffee than recommended (I get headaches if I don't have at least a cup a day), and people find it amusing when I over-excitedly show them my multi-color coded planner, which has basically become my religion these past few months. All nighters are frequent, and I catch up on my sleep on the weekends, that is, if I'm not busy.

But I'm happy. I have supportive friends, an awesome boyfriend, a family that loves me no matter what and my own self-worth. The grades, the shows and the news stories are little extra things. At the end of the day, I know that I am strong and that I am capable. I may never be truly satisfied, and I may never stop working until the day that I die, but again, I am happy. And when all is said and done, that's all that matters.