With finals week approaching at an astoundingly rapid pace, it is easy to fall into the black pit of despair that is the finals week frenzy. Cramming for tests, writing 15 page papers, and finishing projects are the only tasks that cloud your to-do list. It is so easy to write about all of the things that could happen during finals week -- like crying, panicking, stressing, and jumping to absurd conclusions about your future. However, there is not much out there reminding students that grades do not define them and that all of those actions only happen if you let them.

All of our lives we have been told that our self worth and our future success are determined by a number or letter. "Fs are bad. Cs are average. As are good." While all of those statements may be technically true, there are so many other factors that make up who you are as a human being, and who you will be as a successful and thriving adult. Getting one bad grade on a test or paper will not determine your future. If you can walk away from an assignment saying that you tried your best and gave 110% of your effort, you've won. You've passed. Even if you end up getting a poor grade, being proud of the work that you do in school, and recognizing those strengths, is more important than making sure you get an A on that irrelevant art history paper you turned in.

Thanks, Oprah.

There are too many cases of depression in college students that directly result from the stress of school. School, and college in particular, should be a place to find out who you are and where your passions lie. When so much energy is spent on trying to get As on every single assignment and writing 20 page papers, there is not much energy left to focus on what really matters to each individual student. When senior year rolls around, you should be able to look back at those four years and be confident that what you have done was in your best interest, and will help you become the best person you can be for the rest of your life. Fighting through four years of test scores and PowerPoints is not what college should be about.

You got it, Michael.

So, remember: while you should strive for the best on everything that you do and all that you present, finals will not determine where you end up. That D+ on your music appreciation final will not affect who you are 10 years from now. Your future story is written with more than five letters. Do more of what makes you happy and put your effort and love into those projects, because when college is over, you'll be dang sure that you did.

If all else fails and you need something to pick you up out of your final's slump, watch this video of a guy running around the mall dancing to "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey. We should all strive to be this this guy.

Ryan Gosling believes in you. Believe in yourself.