As everyone gets settled into a new academic year, remember this feeling right now. Everyone is excited to be back at the University of Maryland. Friendships are rekindled, good times are had once again, and everyone is familiar with their surroundings. As professors review the syllabus and mention the final exam, the class cannot help but feel that these exams are an eternity away. In short, all is well.

However, in a few short weeks, us Terps will be bogged down by the reality that is the midterm season at the University of Maryland. Projects and exams will make our bags heavier and our free time more sparse. Before we know it, all that time we had to go to the gym and binge a few episodes of The Office in our new living rooms disappears to be replaced by hours spent in the windowless levels of the library and in group meetings throughout campus. Before we know it, those final exams don't seem so far away, and the unsettling feeling comes as we begin to calculate the grades we need to receive to get a good grade in our classes.

As things seem to become bleaker, it is more than just important; it is imperative that we remember the things that matter most to us. More important than the exam grades, more important than the job prospects, more important than anything. The things that made us think that the end of the semester was eons away. We must remember the people we surround ourselves with. The family that we grew up with and the friends we couldn't wait to see. As classes become more difficult and the workload seems like it's too much; we must all remember the thing that we will be most excited for the next time we come back to campus. The most important things in college are the lasting friendships you make.