Kylee Deering | Blogger

The end of the semester seems to be quickly approaching. The week before finals is full speed ahead with no end in sight so the stress seems to get unbearable at times. Projects and papers are due, students are gathering a semester’s worth of notes to prepare for their finals and the workload just doesn’t seem to recede.

After my week seemed to be booked by Monday and the stress began to build, I finally had a meltdown. I was studying for an exam coming up yet this week, trying to check assignments off of my long list of “to-do’s,” and trying to keep at least part of my sanity. I felt weak at best. I didn’t feel like I should be having a meltdown simply because I was stressed out and things weren’t going my way. It was then that I realized that sometimes it’s okay to cry in college. It’s okay to be disappointed, upset or mad. It’s okay to want your mom for comfort and it’s also okay to make a phone call to home when you need a little pick-me-up.

I also realized just how important it is to step back from your workload, take a deep breath and let yourself regroup. It’s easy to forget about your health when school gets busy. Pushing through seems like the most logical thing to do in order to accomplish the tasks at hand but you’re not at your best when you’re mentally drained.

The end of the semester is so close and the motivation is dwindling. But in the midst of the chaos and finals, remember to take a breather. Whether you jump in a canoe on a nice day, grab a snack during a study break or watch a Netflix episode (or entire season) with friends, you’ve got to let yourself relax. But if you do get to your breaking point, it’s okay to cry. Sometimes you’ll just feel better.

Graphic by Nic Gibson