This past week was particularly challenging for me. I had a few too many exams and essays due, and it made feel as though keeping it all together was nearly impossible. Sometimes when assignments start to pile up I seem to forget how to cope with the stress they create. And I inevitably spend way too much time in the library trying to get everything done, which usually just makes me even more stressed out in the end.

This past week made me think a lot about how I handle the things that stress me out. What I have come to realize during my time in college is that is perfectly OK to feel overwhelmed sometimes.

Reminding myself that it is OK to feel overwhelmed at the moment is something I find myself constantly doing throughout the semester, and it is something I think everyone needs to remember at one point or another in their career as a college student. When it feels like taking one more exam or writing one more paper is going to be the tipping point, it almost never is. Take a breath and remember that everything is going to be OK again after the deadlines have gone and passed. Sometimes I get so worked up by just the sheer amount of work I have left to do before the eventual deadline and the pressure to do well that I spend more time stressed out and anxious than I do ever working on the assignments themselves.

If you are feeling alone and stressed out trying to figure out how you are possibly going to get everything finished, you are not alone. Chances are everyone around you feels more or less the same at some point and can most definitely relate. Deadlines are not the end of the world. They will actually help you in the end. They will make you remember just how strong you are and what you are able to accomplish.