In February, I caught a cold. I missed a few classes to keep from getting worse. After about two weeks, it developed into one of the worst cases of pneumonia I’ve ever had.

I spent over a month in bed. I nearly lost my two jobs. I still can’t walk up a flight of stairs

Right now, I’m operating at about 50 percent normal.

I’ve had health problems in the past, but I’d never missed this much school all at once in college. I was at a loss; how on Earth can I catch up?

It’s entirely possible I won’t. Even if I were to quit all my jobs — the only obligations I still have — there’s over a month to make up. All of my classes are discussion based. It’s one thing to miss one class and catch up with a friend’s notes, but when a large amount of the learning takes place in the classroom through participation, it’s entirely different.

After meeting with my advisor, I started the process of petitioning for a special circumstance withdrawal. It was something I’d thought about, but I was determined not to give up. I’m a good student, I had straight A’s so far this semester and I wasn’t going to let it all go to waste.

But the fact remains that I’m not really better yet, and it was time to make the hard, but right, decision.

I felt like a failure. It wasn’t my fault I caught pneumonia, but I felt like it was my fault it hit me so hard.

When I returned to school, I was determined to be in full force. After one class, I could barely stand. It became obvious I was in over my head.

It can be hard to admit we can’t do it all. It comes as no surprise that college students have a bit of an invincibility complex. We have to feel like we can do anything because we have to do everything. I’m not trying make us out to be more important than we are — or encourage a sense of entitlement — but we have all sorts of pressures on us to give 160 percent all the time.

Admitting we are human and that we have limits is not admitting defeat. Sometimes the best way to keep afloat is to stop struggling and just let the water support us.

Things go wrong. We’re lucky UND understands this and has ways to help students get through the curves life throws.

There are many bad things I could say — and have said — about UND, but I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that they do good too. Even if I don’t agree with every decision made, I can’t deny the decisions are made with students in mind.

We are lucky to have ways to ride out the waves of life without losing our place in the school system. After receiving approval for a special circumstances withdrawal, I’m grateful I had the option.

I’m also grateful for my time at the Dakota Student. But because I’m essentially dropping out of school for the rest of the semester, I will also be leaving my jobs. It isn’t easy for me to do, I love working at both.  I will miss it more than I can say. Maybe someday I’ll be back — I’m certainly returning to UND — but for now it’s time for me to say good bye.

Kjerstine Trooien is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].