Well folks, this is it. Donald Trump has been elected as the 45th president of the United States of America. Love him or hate him, we can all agree that this election has been one of the most turbulent and unpredictable in recent history, and we are all glad it’s over.

From accusations of federal crime, to outrageous prejudiced comments, to the gaping divide among the American people, this presidential election has been truly unprecedented on many fronts. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both faced huge controversies over the course of their campaigns. Clinton was in the midst of an FBI investigation that was closed, reopened and closed again in the last few months leading up to the election, while Trump had to answer to convicting sound bite after convicting sound bite that brought his character into question. Even staunch Republican and Democrat party leaders had major reservations regarding their respective candidates.

Come November 8, many people felt they were casting their vote for the lesser of two evils. It was a close race all night, and Americans across the country went to bed not knowing who their president-elect would be when they woke up.

As votes came in during the early morning hours and Trump’s tally of electoral votes crept over 270, riots broke out on the West Coast, citizens protested outside the White House and various protests were held across the country. America was in shock. Even the most right-wing news stations had not predicted a Trump win.

Now, we move forward. The election is over and it is time to take a step back from Twitter rants and look forward to the future of our great nation. Whether you believe in Trump’s ability to govern or not, it is undeniable that he wants nothing more than to do what he believes is best for America. Also, we need to take a collective deep breath and remember that we don’t have a dictatorship. Our country’s leader is balanced by Congress and the House of Representatives, as well as personally advised by endless committees and councils filled with extraordinarily qualified individuals.

In this critical period as we receive our new president, and especially in the first months following his inauguration, it is important that we refuse to be caught up in the media hysteria. Being divided and hateful will solve nothing, and the world is not ending, I promise. Also, in this age of rapid social media-driven news, keep in mind that a lot of information may be misquoted or out of context and some is just plain false. The election has already been decided, but this is an opportunity to educate yourself about our new president-elect and assess the situation in a realistic manner.

“Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division… To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people. It’s time. I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans,” said Trump.

Look past Democrat and Republican to remember that not the president, but the citizens of the United States have the power to make America great.