Winter Break is a wonderful, marvelous time we are granted: a time to relax, wind down and forget about time and due dates for a while. We get comfortable, just enough to have to jump right back into the same semesterly routine of stress, prioritizing things, and having to remember the date instead of saying “eh, it might be Wednesday, but maybe it’s Monday? We will see once the weekend comes around!” Spring Semester seems to be inexplicably harder and more hectic than Fall Semester- and maybe that is due to the month-long exhale of Winter Break. Since it is that time again, here is the return to Spring Semester, as told by Friends’ Rachel Green!
Initially, we are all super excited to see our college friends who we have missed dearly for a month. Giddy, really:
Then realize what we did whilst registering back in November. Trying to be proactive and successful we have essentially stacked relentless amounts of work and awful classes on ourselves, feeling instead of proactive, regretful:
The workload is something you dread for the coming semester, and you can already feel the toll it will take on you:
Still excited of course when that weekend comes about, even though your friends are taking forever to get ready:
Almost immediately regretting every decision of the past 72 hours that Monday morning as you await your I-thought-it-was-late-enough 9:10 class:
Hoping not to fall into a horrible habit of sleeping until the last second, we ensure the most obnoxious alarms to wake us properly:
Losing faith in our ability to succeed, we start to feel accomplished at the completion of the simplest tasks, like laundry:
That second week takes its toll on us and leaves us missing the easiness of break, dreaming of that distant memory lounging without due dates and plenty of cash on hand:
Of course, we turn to our reliable parents for the extra emergency cash so soon into the semester, arguing inevitably about where it went already. After strongly suggesting you spent it on overpriced textbooks they suggest you get your own student job: and you retract your argument:
As we sit through class after class of lectures, and people who cannot stop clicking their pens, all we can recite to those who ask is the same mumble for every class:
A few weeks in to the semester is the celebration of love: Valentine’s Day. Despite vowing sisterhood and single solidarity you trudge around campus hoping to fall for the perfect Valentine’s Date:
Getting a little too crazy to avoid the notion that you are single on this holiday, your good friends run by you exactly how the weekend went:
Including the unfortunate come-back of food and liquid over the course of the day. Gleefully though, you hear you let loose in the frat your ex is part of. That’ll teach ‘em:
Time for advisor meetings rolls around and you are stuck with the same questions as always: “what do you want to do after college?”:
As existential crisis’ pile up, you are being hounded about your future. Instead of becoming a high-end engineer with all kinds of certifications and guarantees you have decided to change your major for the fourth time. Coincidentally, no one seems to agree with your decision:
To add to the stress of the unknown, you realize you are going to actually have to stack up on classes to graduate on time. You no longer regret (completely) the decision to stack up this semester, either:
Unable to fix your own life, all your younger friends seem to always come to you for advice on topics you are just as lost about as they are. Your advice tends to be the generic “Whatever makes you happy!” cliche, or a joke taken too seriously:
Midterms are approaching fast and your friends all want to organize a study-sesh every week. However, you know you will not be studying in said study sesh and avoid it at all costs:
On top of midterms, it is also the ever-so-joyful time for group projects! You are determined to establish rules this time around, mainly sticking to the only important one: if I fail, we all fail:
Racking up the list of things you do not want to do, your professor invites the class to talk-shows and seminars regarding the subjects. Two hours listening to a man ramble about nonsense I should be learning anyways? Count me out:
Mid-April is the time at which our brains no longer function correctly. Your life is filled with sleep deprivation, water bottles, cups of coffee and the life-saving planner (the only reason you know what is going on at all). Your mental state is so beyond okay you even get caught talking to yourself:
The Plague seems to take over the campus each year and each year you and everyone else is affected. Not wanting to risk missing class and losing points you tend to suck it up and DIY your remedy:
Schoolwork on love life on social life and tests pile up and bring you down seemingly endlessly. Before you can get better everything has to get worse. Right?
At this point you seem to be awaiting the slow arrival for your death. There at least you will never have to hear that wretched alarm your roommate uses:
As we spend nights studying and socializing and never sleeping we test our abilities to do other things. I.e. pretending to pay attention whilst actually napping:
The end of the semester calls for presentations for most. Dreaded as it is, it must be done. Reciting words practices multiple times in front of your rowdy group of friends who likely did not actually listen you note at least ten things that were either inaccurate or poorly executed:
Finals week means loads of library time and cups of coffee:
As we finals week comes to a close though we say goodbye to our close knit college friends, and for two entire months this time:
This hard work always pays off though and the end of finals means going home and having not one but TWO months of stress-free, lose-the-date time to ourselves again:
