Chin up, buttercup, there are better times ahead.

Sure. That's what they all say – but are there really?

For most of us, we've fallen into the routine of school again. Maybe, that's a good thing. You've found your rhythm and are successfully progressing through the year. Or, that could be a bad thing. You've accumulated a month's worth of responsibilities and are now inundated with work.

If you're a senior, chances are you fall into that latter category: anxious, stressed and busy. The student life seems to have boiled down to essentially one question: social life, sleep or schoolwork? This is never an easy question to answer. Life is about balance, but high school just doesn't seem to allow for that without the sacrifice of something important.

I feel that competition has the potential to bring out the worst in people. Don't get me wrong – I'm not a cynical person. But this seems to reign true more than ever as the college application process starts. The real college talk has everyone hush-hush, and passive-aggressive levels have been cranked up a few notches. Even in the kindest of places, betrayal can happen.

Why do we let ourselves even stoop to that level in the first place?

We're human. We're innately selfish. We want to do what's best for ourselves. We've always believed in being kind, supportive and helpful to others, but this seems to be the exception.

We feel like there's no end in sight. This could apply to your school, work or relationships. As for us college-bound students, we're about to finish 12 plus years of school to attend school for another four years, and who knows how many more after that. How are we supposed to know what we want to "do with our lives" by then? And even if we've made up our minds, how do we know that's what we truly want to do?

What if what we truly want to do is something that's not traditionally profitable or highly regarded? All these questions have crossed my mind recently.

After speaking with many of my peers, I've realized that I'm not alone in my doubts about the future, and we've all found comfort in the fact that we share the same worries. As cheesy and perhaps uncomfortable as it may sound, "talking it out" is better than "bottling it up." Easier said than done, I know.

But when we really walk through our current frame of mind, we often discover that our rationale is unwarranted. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, if it's in your control, don't let your worries, stress or anxiety about the future poison your relationships or happiness.

Isn't it funny how your brain always makes you feel like you're alone in your fears?

Chin up, buttercup. I believe in you.