What you should be doing: Working harder after seeing your midterm grades.

Whether you saw real letter grades or just found out how you did on your midterm exams and papers, the first half of the semester is over. Now you know exactly what to expect in your classes so you will know how to maintain/improve your midterm grades.

What you are actually doing: Losing motivation to put effort into your grades.

I mean, c'mon. You finished the first half of the semester. You put a lot of work in. You deserve a break. You also realize that sleep is somehow more and more appealing after having gone home and slept in your bed over fall break. Now that you're back you want to enjoy your friends and your fabulous campus. You and your books were good friends before break, but the friendship was merely temporary and that's okay as long as you try and reconnect with your former friends before finals.

What you should be doing: Working out and staying healthy.

The holiday foods are coming. Winter vacation and a possible run in with a bathing suit is in the near-ish future. You should be going for that run, grabbing a bowl of celery and carrots in the dining hall, or doing any of those other smart and healthy things that all students should do.

What you are actually doing: Blowing your nose and preparing to hibernate for winter.

For some reason, coming back to school after the fall break is always accompanied by a cold. Tissues abound, but you are pretending to ignore your growing need to buy Kleenex stock. You know winter is coming but you'd much rather snuggle under your covers than go for a run now that the brisk October and November air is here to stay.

What you should be doing: Figuring out what you want to do this summer.

INTERNSHIPS. It's starting. That time of the year where you should be figuring out what resume-padding, semi-interesting internship you should apply for this summer. You should be getting your life together.

What you are actually doing: Figuring out what you're going to be for Halloween.

What in the world are you going to wear for the three nights of Halloween celebrations? You should ask everyone you know what they are being in order to compare and steal good ideas. I mean, you need three different outfits. This planning is much more important. You must be something besides a cat. Anything besides a cat.

What you should be doing: Reading for your classes so you aren't so clueless in class every day.

No more sleeping in class because you're so tired from procrastinating the previous night. No more sitting in silence during your seminar. You will have an opinion, an intelligent opinion even. Aww, I'm so proud of you.

What you are actually doing: N&N - Netflix and Nutella.

Netflix and Nutella are your best friends. They are the best people (yes, they are people if you believe it enough) to spend your nights with, especially when you have deadlines rapidly approaching.

What you should be doing: Saving your money for the holidays.

Your friends and parents love you, so you should get them nice presents. You need money for nice presents. End of story.

What you are actually doing: Regretting that you spent your money when you celebrated the end of midterms.

When your midterms ended you celebrated. No judgement. You deserved it. Unfortunately, you blew a nice chunk of change and now you either have to work and make money or make your own holiday presents this year.

What you should be doing: Filling out applications (Job, Study Abroad, Internship, etc.)

Life is coming at you fast and it's time to start figuring out what you are going to do with your life, be it next week, next month, next summer, or post-graduation. Applications are important. You have to make yourself seem as awesome as you are in person. Get to work on making that shine through your applications.

What you are actually doing: Pretending those don't exist because it's stressful.

No explanation necessary on this one. Figuring your life out is stressful.

What you should be doing: Meeting your weekly deadlines (papers, exams, articles, etc.)

Deadlines don't make exceptions for college students who just want to relax. You know better than to procrastinate studying and writing your papers and articles. All you will do is lose sleep, and that's not healthy! Remember, you're supposed to be working out and staying healthy, friends.

What you are actually doing: Watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix, this incredible video of Jordan Spieth talking himself to a FedEx Cup, and reading some Odyssey article to procrastinate.

In the end, if watching your favorite show or a hilarious video keeps you from having a breakdown, then you're doing exactly what you should be. Sometimes we have to do we we need to do rather than what everyone else thinks we should do. The timeline for that nugget of wisdom isn't simply for a post-midterm time period. No matter what Jordan Spieth may say, it was not a huge mistake to take some time out for yourself. You're a college student. Enjoy it while it lasts. Be responsible and acknowledge that the future is almost here, but live in the now and enjoy it for all that it is. You deserve it.