We all have now finished our spring vacation, and the rest of the semester is staring us in the face. It is staring at us with papers to be written, presentations to be given and exams to be taken. But the best part is that we know it will be over in about six weeks.
During my first year at Ball State University, I was truly terrified after spring break. I looked at all my syllabi and tried to figure out how on earth I was going to get all this work done and get to my summer vacation. Now we are all at that point once again. It's just a matter of remembering the lessons we have learned in the past and do our best to get out with our heads still attached.
When it comes to looking at the vacation ahead, there seems to be a greater excitement with the Spring Semester compared to fall. This mainly is because instead of an all too brief Winter Break, we now are nearing the all-important summer vacation. Summer is when we all rush off to go work at an internship, take summer classes or simply save up money for next semester. Summer vacation seems a much more exciting and desirable time than Winter Break. But we have this seemingly insurmountable mountain of work to complete before getting to the land of summer vacation.
I think it's safe to assume that for most students, such as myself, the impending workload is best taken in stages. Just like most things in life, we have to put it in perspective and proceed accordingly. It's just how our mind approaches the finishing of the semester.
The first stage usually consists of making promises and deals with ourselves that will help us get work done on time. I might promise myself I am going to stop watching reruns of "Friends" and use the time to study. I might also tell myself I'm going to get assignments done over the weekend. This will likely cease and end up with me telling myself that television is just my way of relaxing and the weekend is a time for sleep, not work.
The second stage is usually when I get mad at myself. I get mad at myself for completely wasting a long afternoon by napping or watching television. I tell myself that this behavior is stupid and irresponsible, and I begin to sound like my parents. That's plenty scary by itself. Getting mad is usually followed by writing one of my many assignments in just a few hours. I finish up and look at my new creation approvingly, knowing I am now that much closer to being done for the semester.
The third stage I see comes when writing that final assignment of the semester or studying for that last final exam. With it comes a sense of euphoria and a great sense of accomplishment.
When this is all over, and I'm looking back, I'm confident I'll be laughing. I have to keep telling myself that millions of people around the world graduate from college. It can't be all that hard if everyone is doing it. We all need to keep our heads on securely and weather the storm as best we can. The end of the semester will be here before we know it.
It'll all be over in six short weeks.
Write to Alex at apcarroll@bsu.edu
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