The week following spring break has got to be one of the hardest weeks of the school year. Whether your break was spent seaside, on the slopes or in your bed, everyone has a hard time going back to reality. Spring break is such a tease of summer that by the end of the week you've almost forgotten that you actually still have two months of school to push through. Your tan lines, new season of Netflix and 12-hour sleep cycle make you think that school is done, but your backpack full of unfinished work is telling you otherwise. The five stages of PSBD get all of us every year and unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a cure.
1. Denial
This first stage usually happens around Friday night. You can feel the end of the break nearing, but you refuse to think about it. After all, you still have a whole weekend left. Everything is fine. No need to worry yet.
2. Anger
OK, now it's Saturday, and things are starting to seem a little unfair. I mean, after all the hard work we've done this year, don't we deserve a two-week spring break? It rained for two days, so those days didn't even really count. And who gives a test the week after spring break? Thinking about your early class come Monday morning isn't helping.
3. Bargaining
Sunday morning brings on this stage. After waking up and realizing that was your last time to sleep in, you plead for one more night to no one in particular. In your head, you beg your teacher/professor to move back that quiz that she so evilly scheduled for tomorrow (and that you haven't started studying for).
4. Depression
At this point, you're either in the car/on a plane back from a trip, or you're just sitting around the house. Either way, you're wallowing in sadness as the clock ticks on, constantly mocking the fact that your break is almost up. You're either hating yourself for sitting around all break and not doing anything, or sulking because you just want to be back on that beach you just left. You try to hold the tears back as you think about all of the homework you should have done sooner.
5. Acceptance
Well, that's it. Spring break is gone and school is back. Now that you've finally accepted that your week of freedom has come to an end, you either crack the books and prepare for a long night of catching up, or decide it's not even worth it and just go to bed in preparation for the early morning to come. You cringe at the thought of your alarm going off. Goodbye spring break 2016, you will be missed.
