Tamia Gregory
This year is my senior year and I graduate next year in May (shoutout to the Class of 2024!!). I’m so grateful for the opportunity to attend college and become a better thinker, a better writer, and a better person. I’ve surrounded myself with people who encourage me to work harder and aim higher.
The end of the fall semester is here, meaning the senior class of May is only one semester away from graduating. I feel excited, I feel nervous, I feel relieved, I feel every emotion all at once. Each day, I imagine myself having a big girl job and enjoying the luxuries of life that my hard work in college has afforded me. But as the days go by, my to-do list grows and my motivation to be productive becomes weaker.
Majoring in mass communications has its perks: my course load’s weight is light in comparison to students in the College of Business or students with STEM majors. A lot of my projects are creative works that don’t require hours of memorization – thankfully. Nearly all my closest friends happen to be in these fields, so I’ve witnessed their perils first-hand.
Please, everyone, a moment of silence for their stress levels.
For major-specific classes, finals season isn’t too laborious, but I wonder if that very fact is the fuel to my senioritis.
I’ll be honest and let it be known that I’m a huge procrastinator and at times, a lazy student. Keeping myself busy by being an active member of my organizations on campus and intentionally staying out of my room allows time to fly. Once I develop a routine, though, my days start to feel monotonous and when I get bored, I don’t do anything else but complain about how bored I am.
Of course, there’s work to be done, but why worry about that when I can deep clean my camera roll?
Normally, I get over these bouts of idleness, but this time around, it’s next level. Writer’s block is at an all-time high. I have the ideas; I just can’t formulate the sentences. Homework is being submitted by buzzer-beaters. The snooze button on my alarm is working overtime. As a straight-A student who considers herself an overachiever, this is so unlike me!
There’s also the possibility that senioritis alone is not to blame – coming back to school for only three weeks post-Thanksgiving Break makes it so hard to want to get anything done. If it were up to me, the semester would be wrapped in November. Winter weather is also super dreary, so it takes a lot of energy to convince myself to leave the very warm apartment that has everything I need.
The productive momentum I tapped into back in September comes to me in waves. These days, those waves are fewer and farther apart, but what helps me to push through is knowing that by putting in the work now, I am leading myself to the opportunities I dream of. Essentially – work now, play later.
To anyone who might be struggling to finish out the semester strong: you are not alone. Just a couple more days of hard work, then the sweet relief of relaxation will ensue.
Good luck to everyone on their final exams!