Last week was a week of death. I had my first two college midterms not only in the same week, but on the same day. I went to six hours of office hours the day before to make sure I was ready. After finishing the exams at 9 PM that day, I could barely say I passed both exams. This was way more intense than the midterms in high school because they weigh into your grade far more than before. It was extremely stressful. And then I’d walk past someone that is only taking humanities classes who would tell me that they aren’t stressed at all. They don’t have midterms and I’d be left with the bitter feeling in my soul knowing I’m dying in the STEM life.
There wasn’t an ounce of energy left in me and I felt emotionally drained by the time Friday rolled around. So for the next three days, I chilled. I chilled like I have never chilled before. I went back home to New Jersey to refresh my mind after midterms as well as refresh myself after living at college for a month. There were two books in the bag I brought home so I could study, but they were left untouched. I watched television for hours on end, which I haven’t been able to do at Amherst. I slept, went out with friends, had some fantastic Mexican food, and just relaxed with my family. I can’t say I was productive for more than two minutes while I was over there. Some of you might be thinking, wow, you really left all that work for the last minute. You should have done some work throughout the weekend. But I regret nothing. At this point, I felt so dead from always having work on my mind and not being able to relax without guilt creeping into my head. At home, On top of that, you are surrounded by strangers for hours on end. At home, I felt at peace and had people I loved with me at all times. I needed this break so bad.
If you’re just taking midterms or just finishing, keep in mind that you need to follow this up with some relaxation. Maybe not as hardcore like me where I didn’t do anything school related at all, but enough where you can rest mentally. You have to remember that mental health is one of the most important things to worry about during college, especially when you are so far away from your main support system (whether that be friends or family). While college is extremely fun, it really takes a toll on you emotionally and you need to learn that taking a break won’t ruin you. Not everyone will have the luxury of going home like me, but there are so many ways to relax for the weekend. You can try to visit a city nearby with friends, play board games, binge on Netflix, or just take a thousand naps. Find a way to be at peace for a moment to energize for the next few weeks. Take care of yourselves to be as successful as you guys can be.
