It's that time of year again—the end of spring semester. This is my first college spring semester so I'm frazzled but so incredibly excited. A lot of students, especially younger students. may be getting ready for the temporary move back in with the fam before coming back in the fall, so there is a lot going on and a lot to plan for. I happen to love planning. I am the ultimate list maker. Finals are fast approaching along with all of these other life decisions. The post-spring break, pre-final daze is a real thing, but the pace and stress is about to pick up double time so here are some tips to making it through this last month before summer.

1. Make a list.

Make a list of everything you need to do to finish out your academic and extracurricular semester. Make a list of everything you need to do to get ready for the fall, whether that's planning for a lease or signing a housing contract and registering for classes. Make a list of all of the things you need to do in order to smoothly move out of your dorm and live as peacefully as possible back home for a few months: calling for jobs for the summer, cleaning out your closet, putting your fridge on craigslist. Lists will give you so much peace of mind and a sense of control that you may or may not actually possess.

2. Remind yourself of your goals.

This stuff is really hard, but revisit why you are here. You are getting your education for a reason. You are moving out or planning to rent for a reason. Remind yourself of why this stress and hard work of finals and finding a place to live or transitioning jobs is worth it. Remember your short-term and long-term goals and focus on attaining them. This college experience is what you make it, and you are making these choices to get you closer to where you dream of being.

3. Manage your time and money!

It's time for me to start writing down everything that I pay for in a notebook, because I never realize how much money I seep until I, with a soul full of anxiety, check my single-digit bank account. That may seem a little extreme, but it actually isn't that hard to do, and it is a really good exercise in learning how to budget and seeing where your money goes (hint: food). Time management is also one of the biggest factors in stress relief. Writing everything down in your calendar and being consistent in knowing when things are due or giving yourself visuals of things to look forward to is very comforting. Once again, you create a feeling of control. We all want some of that. These are good habits to have in general, but this can get you through this last month before the big transition to whatever you do this summer.

4. Start cleaning.

You put it on your list, now do it. Clean out your clothes and go to Plato's Closet or the Teen Thrift Challenge drop-off. Clean out your fridge (maybe a little later into the month). Clean out the papers you neurotically kept from last semester (recycle). You probably acquired a lot of knick-knacks and stuff this year, in addition to the things you brought to your dorm in the fall and after winter break. Take this opportunity to minimize your possessions. Clearing out can be therapeutic and symbolic, and may even make your room nicer to study in. Your final packing will be so much easier when you've cleaned out the unnecessary stuff.

5. Indulge in self-care.

Stress levels are high, so much is going on and the things to worry about stretch on the time continuum from your boy-mistakes last semester that still haunt you, your eight-page final paper now and everything that could go wrong with the move-in next fall. Go to a yoga class, do a meditation challenge, try that cycling class before you're away from the free classes all summer, give your body nourishing food. You need as much of your sanity as possible for this last month before you're on the beach during the weekend and at the club with your PIC all summer, so give yourself some love.

6. Have some faith.

We have a great amount of control over our decisions, yet the Universe moves without telling us what's coming next. We have the choice to work hard and put ourselves out there and dream, and Life likes to pile it on sometimes—brick wall after brick wall. We have to have faith that everything is as it should be. We have to have faith in ourselves. We have so many doors that we can choose to walk through, and we have to trust that everything will work out. We are everything that we need.

7. Enjoy your time.

I have such a loving relationship with my two roommates—they are my best friends. One is transferring and the other will not live with me next year as planned. I need to enjoy every moment of the people I have in my life. Maybe you don't have that relationship with your roommates, but things will change so much year to year, so this last month should be used to really appreciate the positive things and people in your current situation. Things will never be like this again, so enjoy your relationships! Get the most out of the happiness and love that you have created in these friendships.

I am so excited for this summer and moving into my first apartment next year, but I am so happy to be spending my last month in the great classes I have with my most favorite roommates. I'm very blessed to have made a somewhat graceful transition into adulthood, and I'm so excited to be planning my career as a student and starting out on my own. There is so much to do but I am so motivated to do everything I need to do to make my decisions come to life. I know exactly what I want and how to get there. Let's finish our spring semester strong. We are smart, cool, college kids, and we are taking on the world.

Go Owls!