a case of the nail biting

I had a striking realization at the end of this past semester, during what I thought was one of my worst periods of nail-biting: the control I have over my nail-biting and the length of my finger nails generally reflects my self-esteem at any given time. 

In high school, during my last two years, I "cleaned up" - stopped partying, quit my job at Sonic Drive-in, and focused on my academics. I started doing better, understanding my work and classes, and feeling really proud. I stopped biting my nails immediately...it was like one day I stopped biting my nails and I never looked back. Then...after I began my first year at Mac, things went downhill.

Now it's summer and I'm at the lowest length I've been at in a while. Something's not right. I can feel it in more than just my sore fingertips.