Goodbye, Life. Hello, Grad School.

My career in graduate school started yesterday.

It's day two, and I'm already exhausted.

Want to know what I've done so far?

READ THE SYLLABI.

Yep. That's it. I've read my three syllabi (and a few other important pieces of information) and recorded due dates and reading schedules in my planner (color coded, of course).

The problem is, I feel as though I've just read four textbooks and written one of my own.

To combat the sense of stress and overwhelmedness* I feel, I've started repeating this mantra to myself:

I am competent and intelligent. I hold a Bachelor's degree. I am grateful for my education. I can do this.

I repeat it over and over and over. I start softly, just as a nice hum behind all of the stressful stirrings that buzz around in my brain, and gradually my mantra grows louder and louder until the stressful stirrings cease for a moment, and I calm down. Let's hope this works for the whole semester.

*I know that's not a real word.