Surviving Spring Semester

Here’s something wild, but true: spring semester is very different from the fall semester, and I’m not just talking about the weather. For some strange reason, it feels like it goes by in the blink of an eye, compared to the steady march of fall. They’re the same number of weeks, but they have a very different feel and pace.

Maybe it’s because we’re coming off a three-week break rather than a four-month break, maybe it’s the looming goal of graduation for the seniors that’s infecting us all, or maybe it’s just the promise of warm days and spring break ahead. What it comes down to is: spring semester is tough, but getting through it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips for slowing down the speedy spring semester!

Not really a tip to slow down the pace, but insurance against the inevitable. I assure you, your due dates will sneak up on you. Stay on top of your work, and the panic of the due-date rush won’t settle into your bones and nightmares.

Passion will get you through the toughest of times, and while it may not slow down the semester, it will surely make it meaningful instead of simply gone. You may not be excited about all your courses, but dredging up some enthusiasm can make a world of difference. Even passion for something non-academic, like a sport or hobby, will brighten up how you view your most boring assignments.

There are two ways to avoid transdimensional timewarp zones (TTZs). The first is to stay very far away from anything chronologically out of place: a summer flower blooming in winter, flip phones, the McRib 11 months of the year, etc. These are likely TTZs and should be avoided at all costs. The second is to simply enjoy every moment you’re given! Continuously find something to appreciate and you’ll be rooted in the present instead of falling into the cracks of time!

Nothing makes time speed up like regularity. When things are always the same, you tend to tune them out. Go to class, go to chapel, eat, study – the same old rhythm will have you seeing double before you know it. Mix up your schedule a little bit every week, and not by skipping classes. Just a little change, like attending an on-campus event or celebrating an obscure holiday, will give you a bit of extra texture for your memories to hold on to, and last month won’t feel like yesterday! Now get going – the spring semester is probably already halfway done by now! One final tip for the road: you can do this!