With every new school year comes new challenges, new obstacles, and new problems. No matter where you are or what you are studying, school during the first couple months really makes you feel like you are being put to the ultimate test. Finals are still months away and you already feel like you are drowning or running down the dark tunnel desperate to see even that slight glimmer of light that marks the end. If you are one of those people, sit back, relax, and just listen.

School is not easy for anyone, so if you are sitting there thinking that you are the only one who could possibly be going through all this, you are one hundred percent wrong. It doesn't matter how easy or hard you major or classes in general seem to anybody, if you are struggling, your feelings are valid. Just because you may struggle in something that someone else would consider easy does not make you any less smart or any worse of a student. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and everyone uses them differently. You are smart. You are just struggling right now, and that is okay. Because there are many ways to fix your struggles without just giving up.

Take your problems one at a time rather than trying to find a mass solution for all of them put together. Because if you keep looking for this solution, I guarantee that you will only cause yourself more stress and even more problems down the line. Believe it or not, writing everything out, every problem, every anxiety, and every stressful event, will help you more clearly think about the best path of action and which areas you need to make a priority for in that moment. This is the first step in organizing your thoughts and thinking clearly. Know what has to get down in this moment while understanding what other areas and problems can be addressed later.

Making yourself a to-do list will also help in keeping you organized. Putting deadlines, weekly reminders, and words of encouragement on a calendar you check everyday will keep you motivated in moving forward while also giving you the chance to physically see the work you are accomplishing. Let's face it, being able to cross things off a to do list is always a fun thing and good feeling to have. These techniques may seem small and tedious, but trust me, just trying to remember to do things for later without physical and visual reminders is a lot harder than it sounds, and quite possibly where a lot of your worries and stress originated from in the first place.

Battle this school year with your head held high. You were able to get yourself there, meaning you deserve to continue being there for however long you deem necessary in order to achieve your goals and milestones. Take things day by day, step by step. The world is not such a scary and overwhelming place when you just take it one day at a time.