Our grades aren’t great. We have too many papers left to write and no one evens know how many tests they have during finals week. Stress has just become a normal part of life. No one really even processes it anymore.

Caffeine dependency is high. Motivation levels are low.

Mental breakdowns are scheduled into daily routines, and many Netflix accounts have been inactive for days.

It’s the last full month of sophomore year and everything is just terrible.

A fellow sophomore in my sorority said just the other day that she hasn’t heard a single person say this semester has been great.Because let’s face it. This semester sucks. The sophomore slump is all too real.

But it’s going to be okay. It will be over in a matter of weeks, and we can do it. We can power through.

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Remember, you are not defined by your grades.

One bad test doesn’t define you. One bad grade doesn’t either. You don’t need a report card to tell you that you are a strong, motivated, intelligent person who is currently dealing with a lot of shit.

Exercise.

Go to the gym, head out on a run or just take a nice stroll to the other side of campus with a friend. It will relieve some of the pent up energy in your body from all of the worrying and stress.

Take a break.

When you think your head is going to explode, take a break. When the smallest noise in the library makes you want to scream, take a break. When you snap at your best friend for no good reason, take a break.

Take a shower. Watch a YouTube video. Listen to a few Taylor Swift songs and sing along. Or sing Taylor Swift songs in the shower. Then regroup when you feel less strung out and go back to work.

Unwind before you go to bed.

Watch some Netflix or read a book. You need time to decompress at the end of the day.

Sleep 7-9 hours each night.

That is the recommended amount of time your body needs to rejuvenate in order to function properly. It’s also important to maintain as normal as a sleep schedule as possible, so try to avoid staying up until 2 am to study and don’t pull all-nighters.

Drink plenty of water and don’t rely on caffeine.

There is nothing wrong with a cup of coffee to start your day, but when you’re relying on caffeine pills to stay awake in the library, there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

A glass of cold water is actually proven to wake you up, so fill your water bottle before you head out to study instead of reaching for the caffeinated beverage. You can even infuse it with fruit for a delicious taste.

Make sure you are eating enough.

Your brain can’t function if you’re starving it. Even though you might not feel hungry when you are stressed out, it’s important to continue to eat three meals a day.

Follow a schedule and work in chronological order.

Write out when all papers are due and note the dates of all tests. Then work in order of when those due dates will roll around. Don’t start studying for your biology exam that is next week if you have a paper due in two days that you haven’t started. Ultimately, that will just lead to more stress.

Don’t take on more than you can handle.

If your life seems to be in shambles, it is not the time to try new things. Don’t sign up for a variety of volunteer hours or start applying for summer jobs. Classes will be done by the first week of May, so really, that can wait. Make sure you have all of your current obligations under control before adding something else to the mix.

Make time for yourself.

You deserve more than just a break here and there. You deserve a day off. And if you don’t think you can afford a day, then take a night off. Everyone needs time to decompress, push their stress away and recenter their lives so they don’t go insane.

Head out on an overnight retreat, plan a pizza and movie night with a few of your friends or head out for a night downtown. Whatever it is, don’t spend the time worrying about the to-do list waiting for you to return. Focus on living in the moment.