My fall and spring semesters in college are always super busy. With five classes worth of homework and exams, sporting events, organization meetings, organization events, etc., I hardly have any down time. I get various things done at the pace I would during school, so I always run out of things to do super-fast! Winter break is bad enough -- one whole month of nothing to do, so there is no way I could last the summer. Hence, the reason I have taken summer classes. No matter how much I tell myself, “It will be a breeze. It’s probably easier to take this over the summer. You won’t let it take up all of your time," I am always wrong.
1. Denial
I had an online “May-mester” class, and it didn’t require a lot of time, so when the time came to go back to UAB to take Physics in class, I had high hopes. We started off having two homework assignments per week, but I still believed my summer was mine. I claimed I would be able to make all of these plans to go to the pool, go to the lake, go do fun things with my friends. Then, it was time to start studying for my first test.
2. Anger
My summer got to the point that I was so busy between my physics class, spending time in a research lab and working, that when I saw people walking to the pool, I was confused. I quickly realized that it is actually summer and people actually have fun, but I wasn’t having fun. I felt like I was working my life away and I was frustrated that my summer had become just like another actual semester. Why did I do this to myself?
3. Bargaining
This is the negotiation stage. I made a lot of negotiations with myself to try and motivate myself. If I accomplished my set goal of work for that day, then I would treat myself to things like Yogurt Mountain, a trip to Target, movie nights, etc. I practically had to beg myself to actually sit down and get things done so I could do something better. Bargaining still counts if you have to bribe yourself, right?
4. Depression
It was mid-July. I had just experienced two exams within 10 days. The summer was more than half-way over. I still hadn’t felt like I had done anything fun. I started procrastinating as much as I possibly could to the point where I turned an assignment in at 11:53 p.m., when it was due at 11:58 p.m. If you ask anyone that knows me, then that is unheard of. I also started to feel homesick because if I was back home in Florida, then I could at least take a few trips down to the beach, and be with my parents and brother. I felt like I didn’t know how to find enough motivation to survive two more exams and who knows how many more online assignments.
5. Acceptance
Here I am today. I take my final exam in a couple of days and then I will have three weeks of nothing school-related. As much as I complained about being busy this summer, I am grateful I didn’t have this class loaded with four others, I made new friends in the class and my professor gave us chocolate for asking good questions or answering difficult questions! I may feel like I wasted away my summer by working hard, but I know that it will pay off in the future. Besides, I still have three weeks to do all things summer!
