This semester has seemed longer than any I’ve experienced, and we’re barely halfway through. At the same time, the semester, along with the rest of the year has flown by. It’s important to take some time to yourself and relax- even with the million things we have going on. It has been harder to keep myself motivated as the semester drags on and normally fall break would be a much needed relief. However, in these “unprecedented times” we have all had to make sacrifices. While giving up a two day break from class doesn’t seem like much in the grand scheme of things, it really does make a difference. This year, I knew it would be an inconvenience but I didn’t think much of the continuous 3 months of school. Writing this in October, I’m surrounded by my peers and friends who are exhausted and can’t find the motivation to do their school work. As midterms season hit- and never ended- we are all trying to keep afloat the mountains of school work.
As fall break would usually have been in the last couple weekends, I found myself bogged down with work and never stopping to catch my breath. Some professors took the initiative to build in a fall break to the syllabuses, but this is impossible to coordinate so many students found themselves with a “day off” from class but they still had 3 others in the day. Though well-intentioned, and helpful, this was simply not the same as a real day off from all classes.
I know it may seem difficult to find a day where you really don’t have anything to do, but you should always be able to make time for yourself. I inadvertently took my fall break last Friday when my only class of the day was cancelled. I slept in and struggled to do a simple assignment and berated myself the whole day for not doing any of the work I had planned to do. Essays, studying for future midterms, working on applications, were all on my mind and I considered the day wasted. The constant self beration made what could’ve been a relaxing, refreshing day into a bit of a downer.
I then decided that I could give up on work for a day and just enjoy what was left of the evening. I watched a show I liked, enjoyed the crisper weather, and celebrated a friend’s birthday. I urge you all to take a day to yourself to escape work; enjoy what’s around you and just remember that there will always be time for school. A day off will do wonders for your productivity and mental well being.