It’s that time of year again, folks. We’re in the homestretch. The end of the semester is bittersweet for many reasons. You know you’re weeks, or maybe even days, away from nightly home-cooked meals, endless family time, sleepovers with friends from home, and (arguably best of all) your own bedroom and bathroom back in your life. But you’re also leaving behind your friends, teammates, roommates, and home-away-from-home (and I guess, in part, your independence).
The school work is weeks away from ceasing to exist. But there is still so much to be done. So much. That might be the understatement of the year.
The last two to three weeks are often filled with frazzled professors trying to squeeze every ounce of knowledge out of their PowerPoints, written notes, hyperlinked websites, personally written articles, and, of course, their own brain all in just over an hour long class. Multiply that by a class that meets twice or three times per week. Multiply that by the four classes you’re enrolled in, not including labs for the STEM majors among us. That’s a lot of knowledge to put into your brain in not a lot of time. Then rewind to the other 10+ weeks that you’ve already completed. Woah. Now that’s a lot of knowledge.
When’s the last time you’ve taken a nap? (No, drooling on your laptop at your desk for twenty minutes doesn’t count.) Yeah, I’m not sure when mine was either. Actually, naps… what am I even saying? When is the last time you’ve gotten more than five hours of sleep in a night? Yeah… me either.
But back to what’s most important: workload. If you have yet to use the phrase, “Live, love, lib,” you’re missing out. And if you’ve yet to actually use the library itself, you’re really missing out. Where else on campus can you show up in pajamas, with your blanket, carrying a whole pot of coffee and feel completely at home no matter what hour of the day (or night) it is? The library is a place home to plenty of other people who are feeling the exact same crunch as you. Embrace it.
Did you eat lunch today? When was lunch? Hmm. Considering it’s already 10PM it seems as if the lunch time by which a typical member of society abides by is over… Wait. There’s a whole other meal after lunch. Dinner. Did you eat dinner? Is the dining hall still open? No. No distractions. You have two assignments due in less than two hours. Must. Work. More.
Each minute you survive of these jam-packed weeks feels like a mini-victory over homework and stress, as it should be. Every time you complete an assignment, you are one step closer to completion. So when you feel like screaming or crying or punching your piece of technology or dropping out of school all together, just remember: you’re so close. So go write that ten page paper. Finish those two group projects.
Study for the finals you have to take for every single class you’re enrolled in. Sleep for three hours in a night and then whine about it to your friends the next day, even though they probably have a similar story. But don’t forget to call your parents and tell them you love them. Let them know you’ll be home soon enough. Tell them you can’t wait to see them.
Make plans with your siblings. Write down the dates of when each of your friends finishes finals and comes home. Send them good luck texts. Because at the end of the day, school is whatever you make of it. And, believe it or not, most of us will turn out just fine.
