I am approaching the end of my last Fall semester, and while it’s a bittersweet feeling, it has been tough. My senioritis has kicked in full force, it gets dark out way too early, and I am facing the impending doom of finding internships and applying to graduate schools. It is extremely overwhelming and something many fourth-years are dealing with right now. Regardless of what year you are in, this time of the semester is the most difficult; final papers and projects are due, and more exams and homework than ever. I want to provide some insight that I have gained over the past few years while being in college, as I have repeatedly gone through this difficult point of the school year way too many times.
Being a college student is extremely draining. Our minds are constantly at work retaining information and being present in classes. It is okay to be exhausted right now and at any point in the semester because we do a lot. Please take time to be kind to yourself and acknowledge your negative feelings. There is so much going on in the world as well right now, it is valid to be struggling.
I cannot stress this enough: take care of yourself. Self-care is very difficult to get into the habit of, I know this now more than ever; mental illness and tragic life events can make it hard to keep up with it daily. Even the smallest tasks are enough, reward yourself for what you have done already to better yourself because taking the first step of actually “doing” is so hard in itself.
It is okay to feel like a mess right now, there is so much going on in our lives. The state of the world is anxiety-inducing for so many reasons, and on top of this, we are going through young-adult existentialism. There are overwhelming emotions that come with growing up and gaining independence, this is something I continue to struggle with. So, just be kind to yourself and understand that most of the people around you are on the same boat. Life is not normal right now and when dealing with big emotions on top of this, it starts to feel like your world is caving in on you. Just know that your feelings are valid, even the negative ones, and that regardless of where you are on your mental health journey, you are doing more than enough and trying your best to cope with it all.