As August winds to a close, we're all falling back into the school year. Whether you're a freshman in college beginning a new chapter in your life, or a senior who can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, we all have to switch our mindsets from the carefree style of summer back to hitting the books. As anyone who's been in college before knows, the Fall and Spring semesters are vastly different from each other. Of course, you have different classes with different friends at different times, but there's more than just that that changes.
Organization
Fall Semester:
When you're coming back to school from the summer, most people are ready to get back. Whether you're excited for the classes you'll be taking, happy to see your friends, or happy to get away from your family and their limitless questions, we're all ready to move in again. With the 3-4 month break from school you have, you start to get prepared for the next year. You get matching notebooks and folders, new pens and pencils, binders, books, note cards, sticky notes. You are so ready to get back at it.
Spring Semester:
By the spring, your color-coordinating has stopped. At this point, we all seem to be struggling to find a pencil or pen, we've got maybe two folders that haven't been ripped, we're borrowing note cards from friends, and we just want it to be summer.
Time Management
Fall Semester:
Beginning of fall semester, you've got a calendar of when your classes are, when you're going to study for them, when you're going to hang out with friends, and you've still got enough time in the day to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
Spring Semester:
Everything comes falling down during spring semester. Papers and projects pile up, you have no idea when your classes are, hanging out with friends turns into cram study sessions, and you get maybe 4-5 hours of sleep at night, if you're lucky.
Stress Level
Fall Semester:
You may get a little stressed fall semester, especially if it's your first semester of college ever. But with your color-coordinated notes and pre-scheduled study times, you can keep your stress level manageable.
Spring Semester:
Stress level ramps to 150% during the spring. All of a sudden, you've got 3 papers, 2 exams, and a project worth 25% of your grade all in the same week. Add in not sleeping well and never having time to do anything besides homework, and the stress level just keeps rising.
School Breaks
Fall Semester:
In the fall, we have tons of breaks from school, one basically every month. There's Labor day in September, fall break in October, thanksgiving break in November, and winter break for half of December. Every time school starts to look daunting, you can just see how far away a break is, and breathe because it's only a few weeks away.
Spring Semester:
Spring semester has one major break: Spring Break. That week-long holiday is the only thing that keeps college kids from completely falling apart. Unfortunately it's in the middle of the semester, so it's always many weeks away. And once it passes, there's nothing to look forward to except summer vacation, and that always looks so far away.
Eating and Exercising
Fall Semester:
Coming back in the fall, many people make exercise plans since most all campuses have gyms the students have access to at all times. Adding in the meal plan with a variety of food, both healthy and not, and you can potentially make yourself a really nice exercise and healthy eating plan.
Spring Semester:
By the spring, the only exercise that happens is walking from dorm to classes and from classes to your dorm. And, since spring is more stressful and when stressed people either over- or under-eat, and the food you're eating usually isn't the healthiest. Lots of microwaveable and prepackaged foods that you can stockpile in your dorm for those late night munchies while pulling an all-nighter.
Weather
Fall Semester:
For at least half of the fall semester, the weather is very nice. Some is a little too hot, but then fall begins and the weather becomes comfortable. Jeans and hoodies become the clothing we wear, and looking out the windows in the classrooms is a nice way to daydream.
Spring Semester:
Spring semester starts amidst the snow and subzero temperatures. Everyone is covered from head to toe, in so many layers some even have a slight waddle in their step. As the semester progresses, it gets a little warmer; you always have to be prepared for a random snowy day at the end of March or even into April. When the weather finally does get nicer, everyone is too busy doing projects and papers to appreciate it.
End of Semester
Fall Semester:
As the fall semester winds to a close, everyone is always excited for winter break. That much needed time away from school, without any stress from classes, tests, projects, and papers. Whether you have 3 or 4 weeks off, those weeks are treasured dearly. After that 2nd or 3rd week, though, you have to start packing again to come back and suffer through another semester that you really just don't want to deal with.
Spring Semester:
As the spring semester winds to a close, all we can think about is summer vacation. 3+ months away from the stress of school and all that it entails. Though some have to take summer courses, most of us are free from all of that jazz. As finals week draws closer and closer, and the stress grows and grows, one thing is for sure: The light at the end of that year is almost upon you. And that's a really nice feeling to have.
