Grenfell is a junior public relations and management double major and can be reached at [email protected]

In case anyone needs a refresher, I’m back for my second year as a columnist (try and contain your excitement). I am a junior going into my third year as a member of the Drake women’s basketball team. More often than not I will write about basketball, but I do my best to make it relatable and amusing for all audiences. Here’s to 2012-2013.

But enough about me, another summer is in the books, folks! Campus is certainly buzzing with back-to-school excitement. It is the time of year where everyone dresses cute, refuses to get behind in their classes and is ready to tackle their goal of a 4.0 GPA. Not to rain on your parade (freshmen), but it won’t last long. You will be rockin’ the sweatpants next week. Happens to the best of us!

Aside from that tidbit of advice, here is something else for first-year students to remember: don’t freak out. Sure it’s vague, but trust me, it can apply to so many parts of your life. Having a bad hair day? Don’t freak out. Miserably failed a test? Don’t freak out. Your boyfriend said, “Hi,” to another girl? Don’t freak out. You went one for 18 from three-point land? Don’t freak out. Oh wait… easier said than done. Perhaps that phrase does not quite insinuate the point I’m trying to get across.

Let’s just say that it is a lot easier to “freak out” when it involves something you genuinely care about — whether that be a sport, your boyfriend/girlfriend or your schoolwork. In hindsight, it is a pretty phenomenal suggestion if I do say so myself. But in the heat of things it is borderline impossible to execute. So maybe a better way to put it is this: cut yourself, or others, a break sometimes.

There is a high chance that you will fail a test some time in your college career. There is also a high chance that your hair can’t look perfect every single day of the week. But you know what? It happens. I tend to freak out quite a bit when it comes to basketball. However, slowly but surely, I’m learning. That’s the beauty of it. Being a college athlete presents so many challenges, but in the end you are forced to overcome them before it is too late.

Not freaking out is great in theory. But cutting yourself some slack is what will help you move forward. If nobody ever failed then we would all be winners. What fun is that? There is something about the climb to success that is more rewarding than not having to work for it at all. So next time you hit a bump in the road, prepare yourself for the inevitable — a minor freak out. But after the storm calms, just remember it is all part of the process. Cut yourself a break next time.