This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emerson chapter.
There is very little debate on which is the hardest month of the fall semester of college. Sure, the first month is rough, trying to adjust back to papers and exams. And no one thinks October is easy by any means with all those midterms and homesickness. However, the second half of November combined with the beginning of December is hands down the worst month of college for several reasons, and not just because of finals.
1. It’s getting cold
Some people like winter, but most don’t. Who likes high-speed winds and frost on the grass? If you go to school in the northeast, November is the start of it all. When you study for three hours straight sometimes you just need a good, long walk, but no one wants to do that in 30-degree weather.
2. You’re running out of food
Food is always an issue at the end of every semester, but for some reason food is hard to find at the end of first semester. You have to starve yourself until you get a care package from home, or even worse, wait until Thanksgiving break to consume all the food you’ve been missing out on the past few days. Bright side: there should be plenty of leftovers to bring up to school to sustain you for the month of December.
3. You really want to go home
Thanksgiving break finally came and it was so good to be home, but you have to go back for another two grueling weeks. It’s such a teaser and your homesickness is somehow even worse than before. Just get through the last two weeks, and then it’s home sweet home.
4. Packing will always suck
Everyone is excited to go home, but no one is excited for the packing it entails. Between studying, writing papers and starving to death, your room probably looks like a mess and will stay a mess after you stuff a few piles of clothes in a suitcase and run out the door to catch your flight.
5. All you want to do is enjoy the holiday season
While the rest of the world seems to be enjoying the holiday spirit and all the fun things that come with that, you feel like you’re cooped up in the library missing out on the whole experience. Studying may be important, but make sure to take breaks. This is one of the few things you can actually prevent, so get out there and watch a Christmas tree lighting or go ice-skating. Try to have a little fun.
6. Thanksgiving break was great, but set you back a week
Thanksgiving break is the best. You get to go home and eat so much food your brain hurts, but there are plenty of downsides, the biggest one being lost time. Sure, you said you were totally going to finish that paper at home and just relax back at school, but you never do. All that lost time makes all-nighters and full-on cramming a past time for the first week of December.
7. Finals
And of course, there are finals. No one likes finals, but isn’t there a bright side to every final? The second you hand in that paper or exam, you’re free. Being free is a pretty great thing. So even though this next month is the most stressful, just keep reminding yourself how great being done will feel.