Dear friend,

I know it's that time of the year for you again: finals, papers, presentations and projects are on your horizon. The hours upon hours of work are simply inevitable. You may feel like your being crushed under a pile of papers and your brain can't seem to handle another equation, thesis statement, or group project meeting. I'm writing to you to tell you to hold out hope. I know that you can do this. You have made it this far in your college career, whichever stage you may be in. You've proven your skills and smarts many times in the past. How do you think you got here in the first place? I know that you can do it again.

I also want to remind you that you don't have to be perfect. Trying your hardest is more than good enough. There is no need to stay up until 2 a.m. pondering one small paragraph of your 12-page paper. There is no need to constantly be thinking about the what ifs. What if he tests us on this concept I don't understand? What if my thesis is wrong? What if I just can't do it? That kind of thinking won't benefit you in any way. Be proactive and be confident in the knowledge and skills that you possess.

Don't forget to take a deep breath. In the library during a late night cram, you may feel like you haven't taken a deep breath in forever. You owe it to yourself to take a step back, close your eyes, and take a deep belly breath, like the ones they make you do at the doctors office. I promise it will help you clear your mind.

It's also okay to be vulnerable and ask for help. Who cares if you call your mom, crying your eyes out about a grade you absolutely have to make in order to pass a class? Who cares if you frantically run to your professors office hours and ask them a question about your paper? It's not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. The ability to ask for help is an admirable trait.

Try to remember in times of stress that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In only a few short weeks, you will be packing up the car and heading home for the holidays, a time that will allow you to decompress with your loved ones. You can finally sit in front of the TV with the holiday movie of your choice and pig out, something you've probably been thinking about for a while.

Rewarding yourself is crucial to keep up your morale. So don't feel guilty for grabbing a venti Starbucks during a study session, you deserve it! Please keep chugging along, my friend, because I know that you can do anything you put your mind to.