The First Semester: The Break and The Homestretch
The break followed by stress then another break
In October, students often hit a wall with the reality of college life hitting a fever pitch, and the only difference between the beginning of October and November is a break is on the horizon with the Thanksgiving holiday. Even with the intensity remaining strong, now is an excellent time to plan out, as there are a couple of weeks left in a student’s first semester, and time management will be the forerunner on whether a student’s last few weeks will be stressful. It also coincides with the Thanksgiving break.
Thanksgiving is a time for reflection, blessings, and family. It is also an excellent time for students to take a break from school to recharge individual batteries before the sprint, which is the end of the semester. These tips allow students to escape the stress of college for the week, which will also help their mental health and self-esteem for the upcoming stressful period.
-Plan Out What Remains: It’s good to plot out what remains regarding coursework left in each class and assignments. A final in one course could be a research paper, which they can start considering. Once completed, more time will become available to focus on actual tests during the last week of the semester. This period will allow each course to get the proper attention and get the best grades possible with adequate planning while looking at what responsibilities remain regarding clubs and work time. Properly crafting a schedule between work and school can help ease this time before we hit the home stretch.
-See old friends: This time is exciting as it will be an excellent time to reconnect with old friends and see how they adjust to their new lives post-high school, whether in college, the workforce, or the military. It’s interesting to hear their stories and see if they have faced similar stresses in their adjustments, which can make them not seem as devastating as they have seen their friends handle it
-Spend time with family: It’s also good to check in on family members as they can help ease the tension and loneliness that students are feeling. It’s also enlightening to ask aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents about their college experiences, how they navigated adversity in their time, how they persevered, and what they learned from it.
The best advice for this time is to enjoy family, food, and time at home and get ready for the homestretch.
