The leaves are turning, pumpkin spice is in the air, and it's getting chilly, which means something is right around the corner. No, not fall, but college application deadlines.

If you are anything like me, you might have planned to apply to one or two schools early by the November 1st deadline, happily pacing yourself until them. But of course, there is always something unexpected that comes up to put even the most perfect of plans into a downward spiral, like for me when my school counselor said I needed to apply to two other schools by the October 15th deadline (which if you are reading right now, is a week away).

So to all my fellow stressed out seniors, do not panic. College is important, sure, but if the process of getting into college turns into a traumatic ordeal, when you do finally get it won't be as exciting but will seem like just more work to do. Or worse yet, if you don't get in, putting so much stress on the application process could shatter your world.

College applications are not worth crying over, losing sleep over, or getting upset over (trust me I have done all three). But once you can get through the wall of writing about yourself, the rest of it will come naturally, and it will move much faster and more effortlessly.

Take it from some one who is currently in the process of breaking down that wall. A friend once told me that if you are passionate about something, writing about it should be easy, and through frustrating hours of trying to find that one magic thing, I am slowly figuring it out.

So a few final tips for college applications:

1. Do not procrastinate- even if you are applying regular, start on your applications early, they may take longer than you anticipate.

2. Do not overthink- especially on the short writing prompts, just talk about what you have the most knowledge/passion about and let the rest go from there

3. Know your college- I think a college can easily tell by your short answers whether you know anything about them or not, and if you really want to go there.

4. Do not stress- stressing out prior will cause your writing to be stilted and can create writer's block. The less you think about it, the better you will be able to write.

Good luck to everyone applying!