Everyone Has Bad Days in College... Seriously.

About a week ago, I got together with a good group of friends from high school after a long period of being apart. While most of us were returning home from our first semester of school, some of the girls were seniors and thus in the midst of all of the college craziness that ensues once December rolls around. One of my lovely younger friends (who was just accepted into her dream school!) asked us a very mature and insightful question:

What was your low-point of the semester? 

I was incredibly surprised to hear this question because most college girls to-be are most curious to know what the best parts of being out of high school are. And I don't blame them. 

From when you start getting the glossy college pamphlets in the mail, to receiving your first acceptance letter, to packing your bags for a one-way road trip (or in my case, plane ride), college seems like a time full of excitement, 'round the clock fun, and complete independence. I mean, the movies, your older friend's Instagram pictures, and even Buzzfeed say so! 

Me at the beginning of the semester before I had to worry about anything.

While for the most part, college is super fun and way better than high school, you're bound to have new struggles as you start this next period of your life. People just don't seem to talk about the not-so-great times. 

I mean, when was the last time you saw someone post a snapchat story of their laptop captioned "Eating Cheetos and binge-watching Parks and Rec. #Homesick." Nobody wants to be a Debbie-downer or, worse yet, appear as if they're not having loads of fun. 

You'll definitely have moments like this- especially when it comes to choosing your major. 

But you will, inevitably, have low points in college. So much is different, so much is new, so much is scary. Not everything will be as perfect as it's made out to be. But verbalizing our worries and bad moments is probably one of the best things we can do for ourselves when we're feeling down. That's why I'm so glad my friend brought it up that night. 

My low point during first semester? 

After a night out with friends I came back to my room and attempted to fall asleep as normal, until all of these worrying thoughts popped into my head. What if I fail my exam on Thursday? Should I be studying more? What if I run out of money before the semester ends? What if I feel lonely when my friends leave four days before I do? 

I essentially had a panic attack at two in the morning, and texted my mom a novel about all of my concerns before eventually falling crying myself to sleep. 

Me at the end of this semester.

I actually didn't end up sharing my low point that night, but now I kind of wish I did. Oh, and some of my friends anecdotes? (without naming names of course) 

Some talked about failing the first exam of the semester, another friend recalled an overwhelming experience when she locked her keys and her phone in her room on the day of a test. And many of us agreed collectively that we had moments when we doubted our new friendships and just wanted to go back to the way things were in high school with our old friends.

While the good times in college greatly outweigh the bad, that doesn't mean we should ignore the bad times completely and pretend they don't exist. Even on this blog, I feel that I sometimes write too much about the amazing parts of my college experience, and tend to avoid sharing my struggles with my readers. So starting today, with this post, I'll follow my own advice and not only write more about the trials and tribulations of college (and especially studying so far away from home), but also talk about any troubles I have to my friends and family. Because even though college is "the best four years of your life," we're all granted a few days out of those four years that might just be our worst.