As college students, we can all relate to this feeling of being dizzy with confusion, stressed to the absolute max, and under the impression that we are doing everything wrong. On one hand, we attempt to act like everything is fine; after all, college is just a continuation of high school, but a little harder, right? On the other hand, we are constantly talking ourselves out of having yet another mental breakdown as a result of all of the impending doom, I mean stress, hanging over our heads here at college.

College is difficult, and it is okay to admit that.

This is such a strange stage in our lives where we are loaded down with responsibilities that hold a great amount of importance, yet we have only had a slight taste of what the real world entails. Just a few of the pressures that inflict our minds with stress include learning how to live on our own, choosing a major that will hopefully lead to a job we will enjoy for the rest of our lives, trying to save money while drowning in student loans, developing positive self-talk, dealing with judgments from people around us, initiating new relationships, fortifying old relationships, and performing well in class. How is one supposed to excel at everything all of the time?

I am here to say that all college students struggle in some way. Yes, that includes the students who are always perfectly dressed, the students who are always 15 minutes early to class, the students who are in the honors program, the students who earned the prestigious scholarship award, the students who work part-time jobs, and the students who aced the last chemistry exam. Everyone experiences daily struggles; do not beat yourself up for thinking that you are falling apart when nobody else seems to be because you never know what somebody is going through.

Rather than allowing your struggles the power to define you, use those experiences as an important learning tool. Once you realize that difficulties are never going to simply disappear, then you must learn how to handle them. Instead of letting your hardships get the best of you, take these moments to define your character by pointing out to yourself what can be done better next time.

Accepting the negative outcome at this point is crucial; however, do not dwell relentlessly on what has happened. Feel the disappointment, anger, and whatever other emotions are evoked from this moment, and then use those emotions to motivate you to try harder next time. After all, you cannot change what has already occurred.

Although it may not always be easy to keep a positive mindset, especially while it is happening, persevering through your struggles will ultimately provide you will an opportunity to develop into a better human being. You will understand how to push yourself as you begin to work harder to achieve your goals. This will also make your successes much more appreciated because you truly earned them.

So next time it feels like your entire world is crumbling around you in college, take some time to reflect on how far you have come, as well as why you even began in the first place. Nothing worthwhile is going to be attained easily; otherwise, it would not be so valuable.