Transitions are tough. Whether you’re going into your second year of high school, your first year of college, or even your fifth year of college, the transition from summer break to the fall semester is justifiably difficult.

Some people do have an easier time adjusting than others. I, on the other hand, am just awful at change. I like having all of my ducks in a row and knowing what step is coming next. However, when you’re starting brand new classes with new classmates and new professors, you can’t exactly align your ducks ahead of time.

Now, there are plenty of ways to prepare for the transition back into school that truly do make the adjustment period go by a bit more smoothly, but… I still get overly stressed about it.

For me, this semester starts my junior year of college. With it, I am facing what feels like the rockiest and most drastic change I have encountered in a while.

Not only am I starting a new job on campus, but I am also living off campus and commuting for the first time (slightly an ironic time to finally get an on-campus job, huh?). So, the stress of finding parking and learning the ropes of this new job has been quite overwhelming. Not to mention, I’m trying to adjust to all of this without my mom being there for me along the way.

Every year prior, whenever I struggled with change, I found comfort in knowing that I had my mom as a constant backing of support and love. So, inevitably, having to do all of this without her in my life has been emotionally taxing as well.

Now, this isn’t supposed to be a “who’s got it worse” type of post. Instead, I aim for it to be a motivational one.

If you’re anything like me, change is going to be hard. It’s going to take a bit of time for you to adjust to whatever new lifestyle you may be adopting. Though, whether or not you realize it, you do hold the ability to get through it.

While going through this transitioning phase, it’s important to remember to not compare your rate of change to those around you. People adapt differently, so if it takes you a bit longer to settle into a routine, no matter what, it still goes to show that you were able to find what works best for you.

Although I am still adjusting to my new lifestyle, I have been able to find things that make the transition a bit easier for me.

For starters, my planner has become my lifesaver; I highly recommend investing in one. Keeping an organized list of class assignments and other big events truly helps to get those ducks in a row early on in this transition period.

Though, what I found to be an even bigger help is having my support system to rely on. Whether it be at home or at school, having at least one person to confide in or simply vent to is a crucial step to stress relief. And, let me tell you, you’ll need that relief.

With that, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Take advantage of those around you that are going through the same sort of change– you may be surprised to find out that they’re struggling too.

Whatever your strategy may be for dealing with change, just keep reminding yourself that this is only a phase. From the girl who feels like she is living an entirely different life compared to a few months ago, I can promise you that the rockiness will end.