Stepping onto a college campus each year is a time filled with anxiety. New classes, extracurricular activities, and life in general crash together to create a bundle of nerves and uneasiness. At a rare moment when I’m relaxed (somewhat), here are some lessons to keep in mind for those times when you’re feeling helpless and see little light at the end of the tunnel.

1. Bad days are bound to happen.

As amazing as it would be to have a great day all the time, some bad days are bound to be mixed in there somewhere.

2. But don’t let those bad days define you.

As soon as one thing goes wrong, I’m someone who will let that single horrible moment ruin the rest of my day. It doesn’t matter if everything goes smoothly, I dwell on the single bad moment and bring it up in conversation and my inner thoughts to myself constantly. However, your day is so much more than that single moment, as horrible as it seems at the time.

3. Find a solution to the problem.

Sure, maybe you didn’t get the best grade on that paper you seemed to work forever on, but constantly thinking about your mistake will get you nowhere. Talk to your professor, call a friend, take a walk. Clearing your head will help you think about the situation more logically, and then be able to approach it from a new perspective later on.

4. Find something you love, and keep doing it.

At the end of each day, I’m fortunate enough to go to cheerleading practice. Cheerleading is my escape, where I can put all of my worries aside and just have fun. Having somewhere to go to get your mind off things is so important. Not only am I building friendships through cheerleading, I’m exercising and doing a sport I love. Keeping up with your interests will balance anxiety with a positive outlook, and will definitely calm your nerves after a hard day.

5. Things will get better.

If all else fails, have faith that things will improve over time. It may seem like the worst possible day, week, month, or year, but having a good outlook will keep your attitude up. Taking happiness in the small things will build up to large events over time, and when those occur, that’s when the best feelings happen.