Confessions of a Worry-wart: Advice for the College Gal

I used to be a hardcore worrier; I worried about everything under the sun, but thanks to a really, sweet, good "friend" of mine - and a lot of Oprah magazine, I have learned a few tips that has made me an itsy-teensy less stressed.

1. Whatever it is you are so worried about, it will not matter so much in 5 years. This was my mantra when I got a 35% (over a hundred...yikes!)  in an Assembly Language Programming exam. Well, it hardly matters now, much less in 5 years!
2. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. Asking for help doesn't make  you dumber than the rest of the class. You are meant to ask help in college; thus, the word prefix co-.  
3. Sometimes, easing up a bit might be the best thing you can do. I was really antsy each time there was a class in Assembly Language. I kept telling everybody how I hated it and how I'm not good at it AT ALL. Then, one of my dearest friends told me, "If you keep saying that, you brain will believe it." From that day on, I forced my brain to think that I was good at that subject. Soon, my brain acted like I WAS GOOD. I became confident to ask questions in class. I googled. I joined study groups. I was more relaxed during study sessions. Would you believe it-- I got a flat 1.0 on it?!?! (Thats a 4.0 for y'all in the US of A). 
4. Pray. When you pray, you put things in God's hands. I mean,some of the worries we have in life are too big for us. So, give them to God. Let him worry about them. Knowing that God has your back gives an inner sense of calm. 
5. Know that God's answer might not be the same as yours. You did pray to God, but you must also TRUST him. Trust him that He knows better. Then, no matter what happens, you know that God DOES have a plan for you. Be open and ready for unexpected changes.
6. Stop worrying about what other people think;  otherwise, you will be worried your whole life. You do not have control about what others think, say, or do. As long as you are living your life in a God-pleasing way,  stop caring about what others say about you, and live the way you want to. It's your life. 
7. Elminiate toxic people from your life. Seriously. Wait--! Don't kill anybody, though. If a "friendship" is just draining you, let it die a natural death. I mean, stop meeting that person! He or she will eventually get it.  If your family is draining you out, seek some space or put some boundaries. Distance yourself from them for a bit.  Have a "mean" girl at school (who likes screaming at the top of their lungs at 10 pm -ahem)? Avoid them as much as possible! If you must be with them (like in a group, or in class), just forgive, take a deep breath, and don't care. Put yourself in a nice little bubble. No one can make you feel bad without your persmission.
8. YOU ARE NOT ALL THAT - SERIOUSLY!  I used to be so worried about my life, that so-and-so is smarter than me, that so-and-so is more liked, that this-and-that can never happen to me, that i will never understand something...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I was horrid, like that, until my mother told me, "Frances, you know why you are so stressed all the time? Because you think too highly of yourself!" It struck me right there and then: I AM NOT PERFECT! I don't have to look put together all the time. I don't have to know what to say all the time. I don't have to be a size 2. I don't have to get an A all the time. I don't have to understand a programming lesson all the time.  YOU ARE NOT SUPERWOMAN EITHER, so give yourself some slack.

Well, that's it for now. I have to go to class! I actually have an exam (which I'm not worried about, promise), so wish me luck!