First of all, hello! My name is Dorie, and this is my first blog post for the site. I’m so excited to be a part of this team of insanely smart, talented, wonderful, blogging ladies! I thought I’d keep the topic of my first post close to my own heart, by touching on a very important issue that can sometimes be overlooked in times of heavy stress (hello, thesis!!!): having a strong support system.

Honestly, sometimes I feel like I’m trapped in one of those unfortunate, black and white infomercials where nothing is going right.

I feel you, girl.

As a senior (…it still sounds so weird to me), I feel like every time I see a fellow student—be it in-between classes, briefly in the dining halls, or loitering around Seal Court—the conversation goes something like this:

One of us: Oh hey, how’s it going?

The other one of us: *Dying whale noises, accompanied by various hand gestures indicating both complete exhaustion and an inability to properly articulate how busy everything is right now*

It boggles my mind how much we are expected to be juggling right now: thesis (for all of you taking it on this semester), all the work for our other classes, part-time jobs, thinking about and making plans for our futures, figuring out finances, applying to grad school, finding careers, moving across the country/world, networking, interviewing—not to mention the social and personal lives we are trying to maintain in the meantime! Between relationships, friendships, family things, and all the aforementioned things, it’s really quite overwhelming how much we have on our plates these days. This is not to say that only the senior students are feeling this way: definitely not the case. For me, it just seems like I am at this giant precipice in my life, and the various pressures that are pushing and pulling me one way or another can sometimes feel suffocating, limiting, and totally disheartening.

When I start to feel this way—sometimes hopeless, and often times lost in this sea of responsibilities, expectations, and life decisions I will have to make eventually—all I have to do is remember what that wise sage Troy Bolton once sang to me, all those years ago: “we’re all in this together.” Amidst all the midterms, thesis deadlines, and job applications, it is so easy to feel like these struggles are unconquerable, and that everyone around you is, somehow, handling everything just fine, while you are drowning under the sheer weight of everything you need to do each week. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not just you. In fact, I’m here to tell you that you are probably handling everything way better than you’re giving yourself credit for. Trust me.

It is so important to remember that, as overwhelming as everything might feel right now, there are so, so many resources on this campus that are here to make your life easier. I’m not just talking about Scripps resources—although there are tons that you can definitely take advantage of (like the CP&R office!)—I’m talking about the strong, powerful individuals you have been learning, living, and laughing with for the entirety of your life here at Scripps. Be it the people you live with now, a study group you are a part of, or your roommate from freshman year that now lives across campus, there are people all around you, both on-campus and off, that are more than willing to help you through these tough times, if you give them the chance.

Look, I know better than anyone that asking for help can be scary—there is a certain vulnerability and weakness about opening up that can sometimes discourage you from getting the academic, mental, and emotional support you might really need, especially when the going gets tough. But, just remember that you’re not alone in feeling stressed, or inadequate, or even that there is no way you’re going to be able to finish this thesis by the second week of December (although this last one might be a little biased). And, if getting the support you need comes from someone that isn’t a part of the Scripps community—such as your family, or your friends from high school—that’s not weird, I promise, just do whatever you have to do! Checking in with your friends and family on how you’re doing can feel so reassuring, and even if you might not know how to begin the conversation, you will definitely feel better after the conversation ends.

So, just remember, we’re all in this together, even if it doesn’t feel like it. The next time you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, try and remember what a good friend of mine once said: “It’s okay to have no idea!” Just as countless numbers of students have done before you, you will make it through this. Will there be ups and downs? Absolutely. Will there be highs and lows? No doubt about it. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, and there are more people than you can probably think of who are all rooting for you, and are more than willing to go out of their way to help you get there. All you have to do is let them.

(Did you really think I could end this post without leaving this here for your viewing pleasure??? Please. You’re welcome.)