"High school student" and "stressed out" are two things you will hear in a sentence together all the time because nowadays, people have totally warped the idea of what it means to go to college. You can't just go to any college. You have to go to the best college. You can't just have good grades. You have to be the valedictorian if you have any hope. At least be in all AP and Honors classes and have all high A's. And at the same time, you're somehow supposed to be the best at every extracurricular you do because colleges look at everything, and if you're not the best, they won't take you. It's easy to crack under all the pressure that your parents, your peers and your society places on you.

Does this sound anything like you? Most people will say yes. Students are more stressed out nowadays than ever before. But life will go on no matter what happens, and no one will wait for you. It's your decision to continue dwelling on the past, or shake it off and start planning for what comes next. Now, I have never been through the college application process or anything, seeing as I'm still in the early stage of high school. I obviously can't say anything to college applicants that would be as good as the advice of a person who is already past that stage, but here is a piece of advice that may seem so obvious, so overlooked and so overused, from my mom and dad, some age old advice: "This time will pass by, too, so stop worrying. Be happy." All the credit for this phrase goes to my parents. They are the ones who constantly reminded me about this, and they are the ones who've helped me the most.

This is all definitely easier said than done though, and I'm sorry for saying a great quote and expecting you to understand exactly what it means. This sounds like a movie that tries to convince you that you can change everything, but trust me, I'm going to blow your mind by telling you this quote is true.This moment, whether it's sad or happy, will pass you by. Everything is temporary...except for the happiness that comes from within. That is permanent.

But do NOT confuse happiness with pleasure. The two are very different.

Put the books down, back off from your studying for a moment and just look around and marvel at how beautiful life can be. The main reason people get depressed is because they do not see a meaning to life anymore and chafe under the burden that will never go away and never stop increasing as long as they live. You stop caring for yourself, and after this happens, the consequences can be dangerous. It's not worth giving up life over mental stress. It's not worth giving yourself up.

Your health and happiness come before everything because if you have lost health, you won't be able to do anything anyway, and if you've lost happiness, there is no point to doing anything. I have experienced moments in my life when I felt like everyone has turned against me, and I'm alone in the world, and I know that most people have felt that way before. But being this way and acting such a way won't make anything better. It won't make you better or any luckier. One of my favorite novels, "Dark Tide" by Jennifer Donnelly, taught me a lesson in life that I will always remember:

"There was no point in waiting for the fickle gods Trykel and Spume to help her. If she wanted the tide to turn, she'd have to turn it herself." — Jennifer Donnelly, Page 253

I cannot tell you how, but I can tell you that you have to do it yourself. This sounds extremely cheesy, but cheesy things are nearly always true. Simply said, don't downsize yourself because of everyday things that happen. You should take heart and pride in whatever you are doing and remember that it's not over if you don't achieve your goals the first time. It means you will do something better now. Make your one shot the best one. It's easier said than done, but it's a start, right?