The Survival of Spring

In theory the spring semester may sound like a breath of fresh air or even the start of something new. Potentially a new wave of motivation and a clean slate! Somewhere between going over the syllabus to the week of midterms, it’s pure survival mode. This is the reality of my semester this year. The fall semester ended up being an easy transition into college. I took six classes which I was able to manage, and I wasn’t drowning in homework. I had track practice during the week and an occasional club meeting at night. I was able to build my routine and schedule very quickly, getting into a rhythm early on.

For the spring semester I really wanted to
take six classes again. Looking at my schedule, they seemed manageable and wouldn’t require too much work. People warned me that with indoor track starting and my on-campus job, it may be too much to handle. While I took their advice, I was set on knocking out some classes in order to have lighter semesters in the future.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I have four classes all back-to-back. I wake up just before 8 a.m. and go from class to class 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. before having a break to eat lunch. The classes on these days are very light which doesn’t make it bad at all. On Wednesdays, I work from 2-3 p.m. before practice. My Tuesday and Thursday split is a lot easier, having one class in the morning and one class right before practice. It allows me to reset mid-day!

The biggest difference with this semester is the amount of homework. I set aside two days during the week where after practice, I just work on homework for hours. Whether it’s due the next day or in a week, I try to stay on top of things. Depending on what day our track meet is on, is when I do even more homework on the weekends. I’ve learned to not dread homework and have a positive attitude about it. In a way I try to make my brain think it’s fun when sometimes it’s not!

In the end, this semester may be more demanding than the last, but I know it’s preparing me and setting me up for the future. If you too have a challenging semester, take breaks for your mental health when needed and enjoy yourself!