As a first year college student experiencing my first "dead" week and midterms, I was absolutely shocked as to how intense studying and exams can be. You can never be fully prepared. Thankfully, I had all three of my midterms on the same day. But that, in and of itself, was also extremely stressful.

In spite of the stress, I found reasons to hold on and power through the long study hours and moments where I wanted to give up. So here are my top reasons why I was holding on to hope and always saw the light at the end of the tunnel:

1. A week long break.

Unfortunately this isn't the case for my lovely boyfriend and many others, but a week long break from school, especially after midterms, is definitely worth powering through exams for. Thanks, University of Portland.

2. Going to a concert.

At the time we bought the tickets, I didn't realize that all three of my exams were on the same day as the concert. But treating myself to such an amazing event, and watching Maroon 5 live was the best way to end dead week!

3. Catching up on sleep.

Regardless if there was a break or not, I am so excited to be getting more than 3-4 hours of sleep per night! Catching up on sleep is absolutely necessary after staying awake for long hours just to cram in more knowledge.

4. More time on your hands.

People tend to underestimate how much free time they had before they began studying for midterms. I began to realize that a lot of the time I used to have for napping or going to the gym turned into time for studying. So it's extremely nice to finally have some time to myself once again to relax or spend time with my friends!

5. Going home.

Now this was the biggest reason why I powered through my exams and studying. I get to go home. I get to fly thousands of miles back to my family, boyfriend, and friends! Although I'm no longer homesick, I realize that this break from school is definitely going to help me de-stress in the comfort and safety of my home. I know a lot of my friends are going back to their homes as well! It's a universal agreement that home is honestly the best place to be in times of stress or post-stress. I'm mainly excited to see my dog, because c'mon, dogs are literally the best.

All of these reasons propelled me through my first week of midterms and I'm absolutely excited to start this break! I can't wait to have all the time in the world to spend with my friends, family, boyfriend, and to just relax and recuperate! Finding reasons to hold on and power through provides you with absolute fulfillment and joy when you can finally reward yourself. Midterm week was intense... I'm now kind of prepared for finals week. But I also know that once finals are over, I'll be going home again.

College is stressful and fun. But it's really nice to take a break every once in awhile. Peace out University of Portland! My next article won't be from my dorm room, but from my hometown in Hawaii!