It is that time of the year again. The time where you pack up those Christmas presents and whatever you brought home with you for the holidays, and head back to school. It is the time of year where the joy from the holiday season has begun to quickly drift away (much like that snow you probably did not get at Christmas) and now all that is left is a feeling of dread because, well, classes start on Monday.

How did the time get away from us? Just three weeks ago we were just starting our break of lounging around and doing nothing all day. We were watching loads of TV shows and movies, maybe reading a book or two, and now we are staring blankly at our computer screens while sitting in a dorm room (or an apartment bedroom--whichever you live in).

Now, this time of year may be more stressful for us, as students, than Christmas was. If you have not already, you still need to buy textbooks, a waste of however much money because you do not even know if you are going to use it, and school supplies. You have to read through each syllabus for your classes (assuming they have actually been uploaded) and make sure they do not have some weird requirement that you missed and have to get "As soon as possible, please." Or the ones where they just 'recommend' that you spend $300 on a DSLR camera you cannot afford (OK, so the professor probably was not recommending something that expensive last year...but that is not the point).

The point is that you are probably feeling stressed about the stress you are likely to endure. The 10-page papers and projects with people you never want to speak to again. The extracurricular stuff that is going to give you the "experience" one may want when you are trying to get a job when you graduate or even over the summer.

So, from me, a second semester sophomore, to you, whatever age you are, know that you can do it. I took a class last semester that told me not to be "the cheerleader friend", but screw that. Sometimes what you need is the cheerleader friend. Besides, I like to think I am good at being that friend, so:

You are smart enough. You are good enough. You have the strength to get through whatever you need to this semester. Do not let the professor everyone complains about psych you out. You made it through last semester, I can guarantee that you will make it through this one.

You have the tools you need. You know how to manage your time and schedule your day. You have the friends and resources to help you when you get stuck. There are a lot worse things than a heavy course load in a semester.

Remember, this is all going towards that degree that is going to help get you a job someday. Do everything you are able to this semester.

And, as my mom says a lot, remember to breathe.