I'm not going to lie, this has been one of the rougher semesters out of my four years. It might be because I'm taking two online classes instead of just one, or because all of my classes require extensive readings each week. Either way, I felt like I fell behind almost immediately after classes began and I haven't had the chance to catch back up.

Week after week, assignment after assignment was due and there has barely been any time to breathe. Most weeks, I've had to complete assignments due on Friday by Wednesday night because I often work long hours from Thursday to Saturday or Sunday. It's been tough but manageable, and I have been able to complete all assignments on time with as much effort put into them as possible.

It's already week 12 and we have roughly three weeks to go before finals. Am I the only one freaking out a little bit? This semester has flown by and I wish I still had a couple of months to prepare.

During finals week, I'll have two online exams and one in-class exam. Even though that doesn't seem like a lot, it's extremely hard to give each exam the attention they require. Especially, when I have other papers and assignments to focus on leading up to finals week. This happens every semester though so I'm trying to remain ahead of it. Only time will tell how well it works.

So far, I'm almost two weeks behind on readings for my online emergency management class, almost a week behind on readings for my online terror class, and a chapter behind in my psychology class. Even though I'm trying hard to catch up, I also have a presentation to prepare, a quiz to study for, and a paper to write within the next week. The struggle is real.

I'm hoping that Thanksgiving break will give me a chance to truly catch up and focus on finals preparation but I also would like to take some time to relax. The end of the semester is both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. Not just because of finals but because I'll be going into my final semester of college when we return in the spring!