I don’t really believe in bad days. I believe in bad moments, bad hours, bad emails, bad grades and bad texts. But a whole day? I’m not fully convinced.  Even if it’s 10 p.m. and you’re spiraling — overwhelmed, frustrated, lonely — you still have two hours left to reclaim your day, and that is more than enough. All it takes is a couple minutes to change the trajectory. 

Being a college student is not easy. We’re balancing classes, jobs, friendships, expectations and the constant weight of what’s happening all around us. The world feels heavy lately. It’s hard not to carry that around with you. I am naturally optimistic, but even I get swallowed by it sometimes. 

Maybe you didn’t do as well as you hoped you would on an exam. Maybe you got a parking ticket or your drink spilled all over and that was the final straw. And when your mind is already tired, one small thing can feel catastrophic — like the universe personally decided today was your day. 

I have felt that. I’ve experienced moments I didn’t think I would get through. Seasons where I couldn’t see past the next hour. But I did, and I am still here. And if you are reading this, you are too. 

And because of that, I would never tell you you’re not allowed to have hard days. There are absolutely days that break you open — grief, loss, fear, things that change you forever. I would never pretend these don’t exist. But as for the ordinary “bad days,” the kind filled with inconvenience, disappointment and stress, I think we have a little more power than we think. 

Sometimes all it takes is one song. For me, I shuffle my old favorites. The ones that feel like a time machine. Suddenly I’m driving with the windows down in summer again. I’m laughing with friends, playing with my dogs and I feel free. Within minutes, the world feels lighter. The day hasn’t changed, but I have. 

Maybe music isn’t your remedy. Maybe it’s watching edits of your comfort show, shooting hoops until your arms ache, grabbing a sweet treat or just calling your mom. Whatever it is, it doesn’t have to be big. It doesn’t have to fix everything. It just has to remind you that this moment is not the whole story. 

Sometimes I wonder if I have a selective memory and block out more than I realize, but when I look back on my days, I rarely remember the stress being the loudest. Instead, I remember the sunset I almost missed, the five-minute conversations and the song that came on at the perfect time. Maybe that’s the secret. Not pretending the bad doesn’t exist, just refusing to let it take the entire day hostage.  

It is never too late to have a good day. And if it’s just about midnight? Then congratulations — you’re just getting a head start on tomorrow! We are living in a hard and sometimes scary world. But we are also living in a world where music still plays, friends still laugh and tomorrow still comes.