In my last post, I challenged you to write a letter in honor of this semester – to list your goals and build motivation for the first day of class.

So how did your first day of classes go? Did they go as you had planned? I know mine sure did not.

In the middle of one of my five Monday classes, I found myself fretting over finances – the very thing I told myself I would not do in my letter. The professor rattled off what needed to be bought, and I just sat there, nervously wringing the fabric of my coat sleeves.

“Is this real life?” I thought to myself. I was in disbelief.

I entered my next class feeling discouraged. But thanks to my professor, not for long. She had us introduce ourselves by stating our name, major and a major tension that is going on in our lives.

With each introduction, I began to feel a little more at ease.  The more tensions were discussed, the more I realized how much college students have in common. We all worry. We all stress. We’re all poor. Most of us want to be successful. We all have problems. We’re all crazy busy.

The beauty of college is, we’re all in it together. All trying to reach a common goal, all trying to prove that we can make it.

I don’t know how your first day of classes went. Maybe you didn’t even have classes. Maybe it was a walk in the park. But for those of us who are already feeling stressed and overwhelmed – just know that you are not alone.