With the flowers and animals finally coming out in the early spring, so too does the dread of many college students. Many find the spring to be more jam-packed with events, and less time to do bigger and bigger projects for their professors and their classes.
Personally, I find myself struggling to manage my time on weekends. Between my club sport, writing for the Wire and doing thorough research for my byline, my 300-level class which requires me to explore a site during the week, my heavy workload 200-level class, my evening class, and my language class, I find myself trying to find time to squeeze in hobbies and fun, off-topic, or random events to go to with my already limited time.
In the past week, I had 10 assignments due through Canvas. Three for two of my classes and one for another. Many of them are assignments that have been pushed back because of the snowstorms cancelling in-person labs, and as a STEM major taking many labs that are built to be hands-on, much of the work was pre-labratory prepwork and small in comparison.
Last spring, I found myself still struggling, but able to plan my time better as I managed club sport practices, writing, and not losing my mind. I noticed that many of the big events did not run at the same time as another—e.g. an a capella group’s big performance didn’t run at the same time as a Dimple Divers or an extracurricular Professor keynote lecture. This year, I have noticed several events running at the same time.
For example, my journalism class’s runtime seems to perfectly align with WEB bingo nights, making me unable to go.
Another example are three events with start times at 12:00, 12:30, and 1:00 on a single day this month and are around an hour or two each. All three events seem interesting, but students realistically can only go to one and sacrifice potentially going to the others due to the scheduling.
I think it might have to do with the way the schedule lines up. In the fall, the semester is broken up by October break, Thanksgiving/ November break, and then in early December with the 6-week winter break. In the spring, we are only given a week of relaxation in March. This means that not only are students in class for more days, we also are on campus and attending the fast-paced schedule of college.
But the extra feeling of crampedness might also have to do with the blizzards and the amount of online or canceled classes many of us had this year, an unprecedented amount to be sure. This resulted in many classes having to push midterms and units a week or two back, meaning more work in a shorter period of time. Students are still taking midterms and mid-semester exams as of April 7.
er exams as of April 7. I think that outside factors are also at play here in collaboration with blizzards and schedules. Many students use the spring to apply for scholarships, jobs, and internships, among other things. These applications take lots of time and careful planning, requiring more and more concentration on summer plans and filling out paperwork in hopes to either gain experience in a selected field, or get some extra money. Many also feel the stress of planning tuition payments and the stress of changing their fall semester class schedule before getting out in May. Seniors are also feeling the time crunch, with their final semester of undergrad coming up quickly in less than a month.
We also have Spring Weekend, where events are littered throughout the weekend of the 24th, and little time to complete assignments during this time. This is also the week before the end of classes, and two weeks before finals. Clubs are also meeting more frequently, trying to squeeze in last minute crafts, get-togethers, and events before May 1.
Overall, many are feeling the heat of the spring, and it’s not just the temperature.
Are there solutions to the never ending problem? Yes!
Taking one thing at a time, and remembering to take mental health seriously are two big steps you can take to help keep calm and unbothered by the stress of assignments and work. Secondly, remember that we only have a month left, then it’s the summer and we don’t have to worry about school until August.
For seniors, remember the four years’ worth of moments you’ve experienced. You might’ve already been at the lowest point in your educational career, so it can only get better from here.
Good luck!