The weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break are undoubtedly the hardest of the fall semester. Nobody is able to focus on schoolwork with the thought of Christmas right around the corner. Most of us likely went home for Thanksgiving, indulged in home-cooked meals, spent time with family, and caught up on much needed sleep. Some of our families may have already adorned their houses with Christmas trees, lights, and decorations. Thanksgiving Break put us all in the holiday spirit for just a brief moment before we were forced to return to the harsh reality of finals. And now, here we are, in the midst of the most challenging weeks of the semester. Papers, exams, and projects fill us with dread, while visions of sugarplums dance in our heads.
Personally, the most challenging part of returning from Thanksgiving Break is battling my lack of motivation. Panic ensues as I realize that this is a crucial time which will make or break my grades, yet I am unable to do anything but procrastinate. The fact that Christmas is so near makes all of this schoolwork seem so much more dreadful. Instead of spending the day cooped up in my dorm studying Aristotle's rhetoric, I'd much rather be ice skating at Union Square with my friends. Each time that I have such a heavy workload, I feel stressed due the amount of assignments I have to complete, afraid of the fact that I'm not making any progress, and sad that I am unable to motivate myself. But then I think back to all of the times in the past that I have procrastinated and everything has turned out fine, which instantly eases my qualms. This, however, perpetuates a vicious cycle, wherein knowing that everything will be okay prolongs my inaction. My mind instead shifts to the sense of relief that I will feel once I have completed the assignments. I think about the glorious nap that I will take after class the next day and I envision myself at the end of these coming weeks, when I'm finally able to go home and spend Christmas with my family. Yet, I feel too overwhelmed to take the necessary steps to get there. It's always when I am the most stressed that I am the least motivated.
I know that I am not alone in this, as friends and classmates have expressed similar feelings during these challenging weeks. And it makes me sad, not only for the fact that students aren't able to thoroughly enjoy the holiday season, but also for the way that we are negatively impacted by our current education system. This past week, I overheard a girl crying in the lounge simply because she was so sleep deprived. This made me think back to the fall semester of my freshman year, where I had to complete a final paper, presentation, and exam for each of my four classes. I was constantly on edge because this was the most overloaded I had ever been with assignments, I was on very little sleep, and I had been sick for a couple of weeks. One night, while I was up late studying for one of my exams, I microwaved a bowl of soup. As I brought it over to my desk, I spilled it a little bit and instantly began crying, feeling as if everything had officially gone wrong in the world. As much as an overreaction as it was to be triggered by such a trivial incident, this speaks to the systemic issue of the severe stress levels that college students face.
As fall semester comes to a close, just understand that your feelings are valid. There is nothing wrong with you because you are struggling to find motivation or because you are feeling more overwhelmed than you "should." Everyone reacts to stress differently, and there are definitely many others, myself included, who share your feelings. Now more than ever, it is important that we take care of ourselves. As difficult as it may be, you should eat regularly, take warm showers, and try as hard as you can make time for sleep. And if you feel the need to cry over spilt soup, go ahead and do it. Don't be afraid to express your feelings because holding in your stress will only make you feel worse.
Soon enough, you'll be wrapped in a blanket, cuddling with your dog and surrounded by loved ones. You'll look up at your Christmas tree, and Finals Week will be nothing but a memory. Everything will be okay.
