The feelings of despair are inevitable in the whirlwind of high school. Between atrocious loads of schoolwork, the relationship that just didn’t work out (“It’s not you, it’s me”), over-controlling parents and seemingly endless school days, teen life can seem unbearable at times. Everything that could possibly go wrong goes wrong all at once. Suddenly, your self esteem and posture droop. Your mood goes from rainbows and butterflies to storm clouds and doom. It won’t end. High school won’t end. “My life is a living hell,” you tell yourself.

But during times like these, it’s important to keep everything in perspective. Nothing that happens in high school, excluding illegal activity, will matter in 10 years. That Spanish presentation you bombed? It happens. That one history test where the 50 percent rule saved your life? In a decade, that one will probably be a dinner party joke. Even that guy or girl who crushed your spirit. Forget it. Move on.

For the past two weeks or so I have felt myself go down this depressing path. Everything just seemed to build on top of each other, and suddenly, it seemed as if the world was pressing down on me. The growing to-do list in my handbook made me hyperventilate inside and I sat through each class in a daze, unable to comprehend the advanced material in front of me, let alone function as a normal human being. In math class, I watched as we went over the unit circle for the umpteenth time and listened to my peers shout out random numbers, much to the dismay of the teacher.

My mind was so exhausted from worrying and thinking, it was unable to do anything else. My thoughts were absolutely blank. But after a five hour nap, which, by the way, is the approximate amount of sleep I get each night, I began to think more positively of myself. So what if I can’t finish all my homework before it’s due? That’s life.

A week ago, my psychology teacher said something interesting. She told us how high school students are accustomed to getting As and Bs on assignments just by following the rubric and instructions. In contrast, college students would only receive a C for that kind of work. It’s a scary thought. We’re so used to the idea of easily obtained perfection that we become easily upset when we receive a grade below a B, when in fact, a C stands for “average.” In our minds, an average grade is an A. But that’s just not the case. At some point in your life, you get a rude awakening. No, you are not invincible. No, you most likely cannot accomplish everything you wish to. And no, your goals may not be reasonable. You are not the superhero you once thought you were.

However, we do have the ability to control how we respond to different stressors that appear in our lives. Trying your best in life without over exerting yourself is the most you can do. It might not make sense now, but that’s alright. It comes with experience.