Lately, I’ve seen posts about how nothing is funny for a college student in November.
After promptly laughing at the posts, I felt the effects of November near immediately. In curse-like revenge, I spent three days full of schoolwork, cold weather and early sundown.
I’ve not had three longer days all semester. So what gives? What’s the deal with November for college students?
With only a week before Thanksgiving break, Ferris is staring down the end of its first semester. With the finish line in sight, the only roadblock on the way to winter break is finals.
However, that’s nothing to sneer at. For some students, their future rides on passing that exam. For others, the semester has been rough, and they may be figuring out that higher education isn’t the right fit for them.
It’s a brutal time to be a student. A lot of stress, confusion and anxiety has plagued myself and others during these times.
On top of this, our midwestern university is hitting the midpoint between fall and winter. The weather in Big Rapids has gone from 70-degree days, which we’ve been lucky to have this long, to grey, wet and chilled days. It’s a battering ram to our mental state.
Our campus’s dreary, cold state thrusts forward the plague and pestilence of allergies, the common cold and the flu.
Those long, bright days when we first started the school year are gone. You’ll gaze out the window at 6 p.m., and it’s pitch black. This lack of sunlight and shorter days affects many with Seasonal Affective Disorder in play.
At this point, we’re out of catching breaks, and when it rains, it will pour. So, what can we do to fight back?
The “perfect world” answer would suggest that you study hard and head to Birkam Health Center when illness strikes. But that doesn’t always match who we are as university students, does it?
I’ll argue that we’re not the pinnacles of prioritizing our time and health. We’re college kids, after all. Sometimes, the best thing might be to hunker down and break out the Dayquil to get through the season. Powering through might be the only way to go at this point.
Simply put, it’s grind time. We’ve got the time to prepare now. The week-ish of Thanksgiving break is the calm before the storm. We know that when returning, all hell will break loose. Exams galore will make up the last days of the semester or the last days of your college career.
For the experienced, you know what to expect at this point. Sophomores, juniors and seniors have done this song and dance. You have the insight to get what you need to get done. For the freshman, you’ll learn quickly the ways of a college paper or final exam.
As a senior about to enter my final semester at Ferris, allow me to spill my wisdom. I’ve learned the following through living them. Bear with me here.
Don’t be an idiot like me and miss the start time of a final presentation because you have work. Review your exam schedule. That exam day is an unforgiving one. Don’t be at the bitter end of it.
That 10, 11 or 12-page paper might feel like the end of the world. I promise you it’s not. In maybe two weeks, I wrote three eight-to-12-page history papers. You’re going to lose your mind in the amount of time you have to study or write. It comes with the territory. However, I promise you’ll be able to deal with it.
Take in the moment of Thanksgiving break. It’s there to benefit you. Eat the food and take the leftovers. Just breathe while you’re away from this place. Find your peace and proceed to buckle up. You’ll make it through.