Winter break marks the end of the first semester and also acts as a period of recuperation from the stressful endeavor that is finals week. That said, it is nearly impossible to not get lost in the relaxation and lose track of the days. What seems like only a few days of being lazy actually is a few weeks, and before you know it semester two is about to begin, leaving you confused and shocked.
For many students, the emotions associated with realizing that winter break is actually over are very similar. Represented by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' "Five Stages of Dying," here are the Five Stages of Returning to College After Winter Break:
1. Denial:
It's the day before the new semester begins and you refuse to accept the fact that a full month has gone by without you realizing it. You begin to think "Winter break can't be over already! I've only been home for two weeks." Similar thoughts enter your mind such as, "there is no way I let a full month pass me by without doing anything productive besides watching Netflix. Wasn't New Years Eve last week?" You simply cannot admit that you spent a full month being a vegetable and that now you have to return to the real world.
2. Anger:
Now that you are aware of the fact that you mentally checked-out for a full month, you begin to get angry at yourself and at the forces around you. You start to place blame on Christmas or New Years or even your parents for distracting you from the fact that school was starting so soon. Irritability towards anyone who even mentions college and resentment towards your school and classes begin to set in.
3. Bargaining:
You begin contemplating the ways that you can make the new semester easier than the last. You think about trying to negotiate with your advisor ways out of taking that 300 level course or having an 8 a.m. You think about maybe getting a job, that way you can take fewer classes. Or maybe taking a semester off, seeing as you had such a great time being home for the past month.
4. Depression:
This is the point where you begin to fall into a deep sadness over the fact that you will have to return to waking up at 7 a.m. every day for class and eating cafeteria food. You begin blaming yourself for taking this precious time off for granted. Typical thoughts such as "I'm such an idiot for wasting a full month binge-watching TV shows," or "how could I have been so stupid that I lost track of so much time?" begin to form.
5. Acceptance:
The final stage brings with it enlightenment and a sense of calmness. You look back over your schedule and realize some of the classes you're taking actually sound interesting. And you realize that although you will have to return to doing coursework, you will also be returning to your friends who you have missed more than you realized. The new semester begins to seem less awful and you remember just why you attend college in the first place because you enjoy it.
When you finally return to school and fall back into your routine, things start to look much brighter. After week one you become distracted by the classes and daily activities. And before you know it midterms, finals and summer break are here and the pain of returning from winter break are nothing but a distant memory.
