Dear readers, I have a confession to make. This semester has NOT been easy in any sense of the word. It has been long and winding in the worst possible way. In fact, I have been frustrated more in the short span of this school year than I particularly care to admit. It feels like everything has exploded at once, with each commitment loudly announcing its superior priority over all the others.

I wish I could tell you all that this massive amount of frustration was only over homework, or only over some other thing. It wasn’t. Work-related stress, car concerns and financial aid issues kind of compounded my levels of frustration. You know that saying, the one that goes, “When it rains, it pours”? Before this year, I never fully realized the truth inherent in that particular saying. Just when one issue seemed to have been resolved, five more emerged out of nowhere. It isn’t fun, and it’s pretty far from awesomesauce.

The feeling of being swamped in frustration is not fun, but it also does not have to be permanent. There are ways to move forward and get on the fast track to smiling again. Take, for example, this very weekend. As usual, I had my job to attend to. I also had a major assignment due for a class. On top of that, there was also a family-related event I had to attend. This was not spread out over four or five days. No, instead I had to figure out a way to successfully manage all of this in the space of forty eight hours.  It wasn’t easy, but somehow I managed to pull it off. Two days and one nearly sleepless night later, all of my commitments for the weekend were taken care of, including that monster of a final paper.

Before the weekend even started, I made up a plan of action. My plan didn’t always go smoothly but I still stuck to it as closely as I possibly could. Once everything was done, I knew I could relax. That was all the motivation I needed. The morning after the assignment was completed I slept in. I spent a rare lazy Monday engaging in limited productivity, aside from errands and tidying up my apartment. Then, as I prepared for bed, I studied, relaxed and enjoyed a snack of cookies and milk. It was a complete turnaround from what had been a hectic, busy weekend.  More importantly, it was exactly what I needed to recuperate.

Being busy and being frustrated can be a big part of all of our lives. It does not necessarily start during the college years, but let’s face it: these particular years can make those feelings seem more intense. Once again, though, business and frustration do not need to defeat us. The best way to work on overcoming these obstacles is to make a solid plan on how to do everything that needs to be done. Once all your commitments are taken care of, give yourself time to relax. Trust me. You deserve it.

The semester has been intense, but it will not last forever. Finals will be here before you know it. If you feel frustrated and uncertain about how you will get through this, just smile and remember one important thing: even in times of stress, you are awesomesauce.