When I was in high school, I tended to push myself to go above and beyond the average student. My class schedule was filled with only honors and advanced placement classes, I volunteered, I was involved in many extra-curricular activities including choir and theatre, and up until high school, I played a variety of sports including softball and karate. All of that was more than doable at the time. I was able to balance all the homework, rehearsals, along with hold a part-time job.

But when I got to college my freshman year, I had to start all over again. I spent a semester lazying around my dorm, watching Netflix, and hanging out with my friends. I was so busy adapting to the social life, that I got cocky with my academics. I ended up doing poorly that semester, which most people do, and had to re-evaluate my approach to college.

My sophomore year, I upped my credits and kicked myself into gear, attending classes, taking detailed notes, studying, and spending less time fooling around with my peers. It was also that semester that Omega Phi Alpha fell into my lap. My roommate at the time saw a flier for a meeting for interested girls and I was dragged along. I ended falling in love with the organization, especially since service was the main goal of the sisterhood.

I ended up becoming a Colonist, Founding Mother, and the Founding Secretary. A year later, we became an official chapter at Rutgers and I was re-elected as Secretary. I now had work study, a declared major, a double minor, as well as this fairly intense social commitment to uphold. This took some getting used to, as it was a more intense version of my High School high-jinks.

Now, I will be the first to admit that I had my share of all-nighters, trying to bang out 10-page papers, studying for midterms and finals, as well as multiple regular assignments throughout the years because I had let something else take priority.

I thought that was how I was supposed to live. I honestly believed college was about waking up, going to class, never eating a full meal, coming back to do homework all night after your extra-curricular activities or your job, or perhaps an internship, and waking up and doing it all again the next day. To me, the only time I got to rest was when I went home on the wayward free weekend or for a break, or when my friends dragged me out.

But what I have discovered after three and a half years in college, is that it doesn't have to be that way. I spent so many years working furiously towards a goal, that nothing else mattered. I was miserable, in a constant state of disrepair, within my body and in my mind. All of this is normalized, but there is a way to combat it.

Stop competing with each other and start working together. Help each other get to the library. Go in groups and motivate one another to start that assignment that might not be due for another week instead of watching that 10th episode in a row of Gilmore Girls. Take time to yourself. Read a book, watch a movie, bake! Whatever it is you love to do, do it once a week to keep you sane! And finally, don't knock someone's major because in your eyes, it's something way too easy and there's no room to complain. I know some people who couldn't write a five page paper on media ethics as they pertain to the 2016 election, let alone 10 pages on the thin line between freedom of speech and criminal intent on social media, but that's the point! We all chose to major in things we were passionate in and thought we could excel in, so one person's easy may be another one's impossible, so please be respectful. We're all going to need each other in the Real World.

Pushing ourselves passed unnatural limits is only going to burn us out quicker. We need to stay strong and keep our eye on the prize. Instead of posting about the despair that you're failing, turn it into something positive to set the mood for others. Even if you don't believe it yourself, chances are the false positivity will rub off on you.

And remember, just breathe.