As campus begins to get into the thick of Autumn and with half of the semester already done, I find myself beginning to burn out.

It isn’t always easy being a student on campus, especially one with multiple jobs and a full class schedule. I can imagine there are many on this campus who are like me. Spending time with my friends and the people who created this paper have led me to realize that everyone needs to be a bit more appreciated for the work we put into simply living.

There are a multitude of students on campus who are beginning to lose hope in who they are and the reason for being here. Some work long hours after sitting in lectures all day and have to pick up multiple jobs to afford the experience at AU.

Stress is growing on campus as midterms have arrived. While college may seem like a dream or an escape to some, many learn that it’s not like the movies.

We as students take on more than we should because we feel underappreciated or under compensated for what we actually do. Some feel as though what they do is never enough and strive for validation.

Over time, we burn out. We lose the spark and reason for being here.

In moments like this, where I have begun to lose hope, I am reminded by my friends that simply being alive is reason enough to celebrate. It’s hard to appreciate oneself when we feel like what we do is never enough, but simply hoping to survive the week is a purpose as valid as any, if not the most important one.

With this letter, I urge you to take time to appreciate yourself and who you are as a person. You have made it to this moment. Life is beautiful, but it is also difficult and messy. You don’t have to have some higher dream or purpose. Sometimes surviving is the best one can do and that is enough. You don’t need to be perfect with an A on your midterm or take on extra hours at work to make your boss happy.

You are enough without all of that.