Let's set the scene a little bit: it's 2 a.m. on a Wednesday night, right smack dab in the middle of the school week. An empty Red Bull can sits next to your computer, and you crave another to keep the energy flowing through your veins. You're worn out. You're sleep-deprived. You're desperately trying to finish the essay that you should've started waaaay earlier (you told yourself it's fine it's fine, except now it's evident that it's not fine at all). You have two other assignments for two other classes, so when the heck are you going to have time to get THOSE done?! It seems like every single day, things pile up on top of each other, and you're terrified of them crashing down. You don't want to be another casualty in this mess.

Stop for a minute to collect yourself. Breathe for 10 seconds in through your nose, breathe for 10 seconds out through your mouth. This isn't nearly as bad as you think, I promise. We have a tendency to exaggerate the situation we find ourselves in, blowing it out of proportion and giving us even more reason to panic.

Take a moment to calm your mind, a now frantic runaway train, from panicking any further. You're not a failure, you're not going off the rails, you're fine. This is normal.

These kinds of freak outs are common for college students, because the reality is that there's always going to be some new assignment or exam to stress you out. Especially now. We're at that point in the semester where midterms, papers and extra readings become our whole lives. It's overwhelming. Our planners are overflowing with to-do lists, events, deadlines. Yikes. All of this is stressful to even think about. But it's okay, because here's the good news: everybody is feeling what you're feeling right now. Everyone understands the frustrations.

Don't believe me? Next time you're in the library, take a peek around you. Scan all the worried faces, frantically typing and writing and studying. Just like you. (Side note: I can almost guarantee there's going to be a person laying facedown in a booth somewhere because when you're stressed, they're extra extra comfortable).

All everybody wants to do is go home and have a meal cooked by mom, a snuggle from the family dog, and a rest in their own bed. It's basically that divine trio we all dream about when the days get busy and we question why we're even here in the first place. I mean c'mon, college isn't easy. Far from it. The demanding schedules and rigorous curriculum aren't things to be taken lightly.

But you can handle it.

It doesn't matter whether you're a freshman in the midst of the first few months or a senior starting your second-to-last semester — I know you have the strength in you. You've made it to this point, midway through the first half! Think about how amazing you're going to feel when you successfully get through this busy week, then the next one, and the next one after that. It's a process, one that we've been conditioned to tackle. Don't give up now, not when you've come this far. Go out and kick butt.