It's that time of the semester, again. The heavy sighs echo across the library and the dark circles under everyone's eyes rival a Pantone swatch. Yes, it's the mid-semester slump. Certainly, every college student will relate to this perilous season, but I can about imagine teachers and professors across the country share in our mid-semester woes.
It happens to even the most prepared and determined of us. We start the semester off well-rested and aiming for the dean's list. Without fail, these lofty ambitions slowly start to inch farther away as mid-terms roll around. This is the turning point. Everyone knows the fear of checking grades at the dreaded half-way mark. What was once "going to be your semester" is now in desperate need of being over. The campus library has gone from a study refuge to a hellscape of migraine-inducing fluorescent lights and buzzing desktop computers.
With projects, tests, and assignments piling up higher than Mount Everest, you just want a break! Ah, Spring Break. The professors nudge you along with the small glimmer of hope that Spring Break is just around the corner. From my experience, and maybe yours too, it never really amounts to much of a break, though. Leave it to the same professors to schedule a test the following Monday or assign the final project for the following Tuesday. (In their defense, I'm sure they'll be spending most of the break grading and doing other work-related things that consume the actual break time).
As down-and-out as we can become at this point in the semester, not all hope is lost. I like to think that there really can be a "silver lining" to everything. Rejuvenating yourself to make it to the end of the semester may just require some slight creativity and will power.
As I write this, another sun-filled, warm day comes to a close. As I made my way to and from the gym earlier, I noticed a number of fellow students basking poolside with textbooks at the ready. I know it's been scientifically proven that multi-tasking isn't a thing, but I still think reading notes while tanning is a good idea. After all, studying can be a real chore, but why not make it somewhat bearable? If tanning isn't your thing, break out the hammock or find a shaded area and head outside to study. If you can't avoid school, at least you can take advantage of the prime spring weather.
Even though incentivizing studying with a less-than-riotous pool party can be a good motivator, it's not full-proof. In order to really be held accountable, considering an accountability partner is a real ticket to success. After all, we're all in the same boat. Your friends or classmates are most likely just as beat down by life as you are. Help each other out! We all have our backs against the same wall. I don't know how many times a day I realize how blessed I am to have such supportive and helpful friends. As they say, "teamwork makes the dream work." And the dream is all the same: make it to the end of the semester. Make your own support system and bear the brunt of the last few weeks together.
While planning to get out of the mid-semester slump may sound great on paper, I know it takes a lot of soul-searching and digging deep to push through. Most likely, it's not your first time experiencing this feeling, though. If you've made it to the finish line in the past, you certainly can do it again. So, reserve a lounge chair or two, crack a cold, crisp LaCroix, and keep on fighting the good fight.
