It’s April, girls.
You know what this means? Stress on top of stress with a red, stress-fueled cherry on top. You feel as though everything is piling up! The combination of impending deadlines, extracurricular events, that really important wedding or concert (because all of the fun outdoor activities start the minute it stops snowing), and/or whatever else you got goin’ on, can be a bit overwhelming. I have always associated the month of April with feelings of anxiety, excitement, and overwhelming happiness. Perhaps this is due to my growing up as a drama club member who has been involved in spring musicals since the fourth grade (don’t even speak to me during tech week). I have recently identified the main stressors of this particular month. Let’s discuss.
1. CLASS REGISTRATION
Luckily, being an upperclassmen, my class registration stress has lessened since freshman year. I remember waking up at 6:45 am to practice typing out my CRNs as fast as I could until I could register at 7:00 am. I was scared of being locked out of all of my classes to see I had gotten into all of them with class spots to spare. Today as an upperclassmen, I worried less about getting into the class. Now, I’m slowly approaching graduation and these last few class selections are pertinent. No matter what year you’re in, class registration is a big, obnoxious reminder that life isn’t slowing down anytime soon and you better get your sh*t together. Fast.
2. AWKWARD-BUT-NECESSARY ROOMING CONVERSATION(S)
Ever notice how many college girl friendships are strained or even severed in April? Housing registration time means that lines in the sand need to be drawn. At least one person in your friend group will be voted off the island. Tears will be shed and raw emotion exposed. There will be waaaay more sh*t-talking than usual. I have learned that it is a dog-eat-dog world out there BECAUSE of housing week. Actually, I may have learned this during my second grade sleepover birthday party. I digress. If you are fortunate enough to have never experienced at least some housing drama, I congratulate/envy you. Housing situations often work out for the best, though. Yes, it’s cliché, but when one door closes (or when you’re kicked out of a housing group), another one opens. Opportunity awaits. The world isn’t actually ending! The scenery is just changing up a bit.
3. SPRINGFEST VS. MAJOR CLASS DEADLINES
Fast forward to late April. The event formally known as Springfest (I refuse to call it by its proper name) is tomorrow. You have an eleven page paper due on Monday. Do you stay in and type out the remainder of the paper or drink your face off from Friday afternoon until who knows when? How you answer that question will directly relate to how confidently you feel about your grades by May. If you choose the former, you probably are faring better than most in the area of academics. You worked hard, stayed focused, and got a grade you are proud of. Choose the latter, and you’ll be scrambling to get your grades back up (unless you have a super-human ability to balance work and play). But at least you will have a bunch of ridiculous stories to entertain you as you wallow through studying your butt off for finals.
So basically, April is my crazy month. But, entering into it for my third time in college, I have learned that it is SUPER important to balance schoolwork, extracurriculars, and my social life as evenly as possible in order to stay sane. I plan to take this April by storm (instead of the other way around). I hope you do the same!