Crunch time has begun! It is the last week before finals; projects are due, classes are closing, papers are stacking up, and I know I'm not the only one who is feeling a bit overwhelmed. It seems like everything is happening all at once. No matter how much I plan or how productive I am, there is no way to prevent the end of semester rush to the finish.

On top of all the assignments coming due, there are all the events which seem to happen the same few days. The endless stream of events clogs the parking lots, footpaths, and roads. With the addition of snow and the days getting darker so much earlier, transportation, in general, is a nightmare. Walking back from the Dance Showcase rehearsal last night was bad enough in the pitch black freezing cold the addition of a blanket of snow just made the experience that much worse.

Photo by Emil Vilsek on Unsplash

The shortcuts across the mall although tempting is not really an option in the dark unless you want to twist an ankle. When you are near freezing because the temperature dropped at least 10 degrees from when you got to the event, it also adds to the agony. It seems like no matter how smartly you dress there is no way to stay warm.

The colder it gets, the more competitive the parking situation on campus becomes as well. No one wants to walk any farther than they have to, so they will arrive earlier to get the spot closest to their classes. The competition for parking weather can be detrimental to student success during this crunch time period because it prevents students and professors from getting to campus on time. And the Winter Parking Ban cuts down on the amount of hours groups can be productive outside of the standard 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. school day.

The only solace is that after crunch time and finals, Winter Break is here for a few weeks. We all will finally get to catch up on the sleep we missed.