College is a time for friends, fun, learning, stress, and mental breakdowns. Just walking around campus, you can overhear conversations about how stressed someone is, or how they have so many exams coming up. In light of the first wave of exams being over, I documented how average college students deal with their stresses in stages.

1. Denial

Test? What test? I have ample time to study for those exams, finish that project, watch those three lectures, do that online assignment, and write that paper all in two days' time. It’s only 10:00 a.m., the day just started. I can get started later and still have time to watch Netflix.

2. Worry

Maybe I underestimated how much work and effort this actually requires. I definitely will have to hide away in the library and not talk to anyone until I get this done. It’s totally possible to get it all completed, but I’ll probably need three cups of coffee and some snacks to get me through it.

3. Anger

Do professors have absolutely no regard that we have other classes that we are taking? This is honestly just beyond rude. It’s like all of my professors came together and purposely plotted against me to get me this stressed. It's one assignment on top of another and it's impossible to get it all done.

4. Despair

My GPA is going to plummet. I’m going to fail anyway, I might as well just drop out while I can. I’ll just take the time I’m using to study to just pack my stuff and say goodbye to all my friends. It has been really nice knowing all of you. I'll just cry about all the work I have to do, but I won't actually start doing it because I'm too busy crying.

5. Acceptance

Okay, I can do this. If I fail, I fail. If I pass, I pass. I know what I know at this point, there’s not much more I can do. I’ll just take this L and move on. It’s not the end of the world, I won’t fail out of school, I’m fine with just mourning the loss of my once not-mediocre GPA.