The expectations set by people such as family, friends and even professors can make being a college student particularly difficult at times.

With so much pressure creeping in, sometimes it can be strenuous to remember the reason why you start such an incredible journey, like attending a university, especially when there are so many outside voices expecting greatness from you.

At a certain point in college, I realized that I don’t have to be on this path if I don’t want to. At the end of the day, you have the right to choose and decide for yourself.

There will be times when pressure from outside influences will discourage you or stop your dream entirely. Being a great person and student is one thing, but when people are expecting you to keep outdoing yourself, it can get exhausting.

At the end of the day, outside influences can try to convince you to do one thing, but if your headspace isn’t there and your heart isn’t in it, it won’t happen. You are the only person who can determine where you will be and who you are going to be in the next couple of years.

I don’t think the pressure of college ever gets easier, and the expectations always increase. I’m not saying that by any means pressure in college is a completely bad thing, but at times, it can be fatal if not handled diligently with the right resources and people by your side.

A school like Clemson University can be a great place if you let it be. You have to find your balance and know when not to take life too seriously. Still, be sure to know when to put your phone down and open a book to study for your upcoming exam. At a university like this one, the pressure is always on, you just have to decide if you’re ready for it or not.

Mariah Jordon is a junior English major from Dallas, Texas. Mariah can be reached at [email protected].