Whether you're juggling complex assignments, preparing for exams, or applying for jobs or graduate schools, university life is an intense up-and-down adventure. Many students, from freshman to PhD, agree that the excitement of meeting new people and starting new classes can eventually fade into homesickness and disappointment that things aren't going as planned. Fear of failure is rampant across university campuses though few of us will admit it, especially to each other.

Often, there's something more going on than just waking up on the wrong side of the bed. And it's during those tough times that many of us tend to forget the whole reason we came to university in the first place: to get a degree. Here are a few tips to get you through those worst of days and ever closer to the commencement stage.

Lonely?

• Try new hobbies. Join a student interest group, no matter what time of year. 

• Explore the neighborhood. Ask an upperclassman for advice on places to go and things to do.

• Take initiative in socializing. Ask friends or people you’d like to get to know better for lunch, coffee, or a study session.

• Use social networking/email to write a quick note to friends, family, or mentors you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Remind them that you appreciate them and are thinking of them.

Stressed?

• Try relaxation exercises (breathing, meditation, yoga).

• Listen to music and get moving.

• Say no to extra commitments.

• Talk to a counselor, friend, or trusted professor.