Well, we’re at that point of the semester. Thanksgiving break is over and most colleges are in that two to three week stretch before a well-deserved winter break and celebrating the holidays with their families. While this point in the year may be short, especially compared to the time-frame of how long classes were in session from the start of the year up until Thanksgiving, it certainly does not feel that way to the students. And while this time may appear less daunting, what with all of the decorations strewn throughout the city and activities available to get everyone into the holiday spirit, that’s not the case. There are several reasons while this time of year can be the most difficult for college students.

Finals are daunting.

The biggest stressor on any student’s to-do list right now is most likely going to be the stress of finals. These exams can be crucial to our academic careers. For some, finals will determine whether they will pass or fail a class. For others it may be even more critical, making-or-breaking a GPA that a student needs to keep in order to redeem a scholarship in the future. Not only does this mean all-nighters for studying, but it also requires students to remember if a particular final is comprehensive or is just like every other test they’ve taken in that class, and looking back on the style of tests each professor creates, and which ones are going to be more difficult to pass.

Packing and/or moving.

Moving out for the semester is difficult, but it’s an even greater stressor for the students who are switching rooms for whatever reason or moving out of dorms to live in apartments or houses. Somehow, students always seem to have more things to pack up at this time of year, but have fewer resources to use to pack those things up. And let’s not forget the daunting task of having to go through the process of emptying and defrosting our mini-fridges and playing Tetris with all of our furniture so that the University can spray for bugs. It gets difficult to focus on this and final exams at the same time.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is real.

Also known as SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder is a very real condition that more than three million Americans struggle with. SAD is a condition where one experiences the same symptoms of clinical depression and general anxiety disorder for a certain point in the year, typically for a season, every year. While anyone may experience SAD at any point throughout the year, it’s most common throughout the months of October to February. While this disorder may seem like nothing, it’s not something to take lightly. People that suffer from it are in just as much pain as those that suffer depression year-round and deserve the same love and respect from their loved ones. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself and your friends that may need a little bit of extra cheer this year (see an article written by a fellow colleague of mine, Fallon Cofer, that provides a list of things one can do in attempt to cheer his or herself up this holiday season. Here's the link: http://theodysseyonline.com/semo/holiday-slump/217678.)

Being away from family and traditions.

This time of year hit me extra hard for my first year away at school. This time of year was always the time where my family and I did most of the festive activities to get ourselves into the season. We’d go see Christmas Lights, go to Main Street, St. Charles, watch holiday movies and drink hot chocolate, and a continuous list of other things. And when I went away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing out on everything that got me into the holiday spirit. All of the decorations and traditions were back at home, and it was my first year without some of those traditions and all of the decorations. By the time I got home for winter break, there was less than a week left until Christmas. I felt like the entire holiday season had gone on without me and I didn’t get to enjoy any of it.

This time of year gets especially hard for college kids. So parents and loved ones of college students, please reach out to them. Show them you appreciate them. Encourage them to finish out the semester strong. Send them some holiday cheer to make them feel more at home.

And to all the college kids who are struggling, band together. Build each other up. Help each other out. Make your own traditions for the holidays while you’re at school with your friends. Create study groups to pull through for finals. We’re in the home stretch. We are more than capable of making it out alive this year.