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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Maryland chapter.

You’ve finally hit around the 12th-week mark in the fall semester. You didn’t have a fall break like most of your friends. You’ve had no days off since Labor Day. If you’re lucky, a few of your teachers have canceled some classes but not many. Basically, you’ve been grinding nonstop, and you’re tired. You may even start feeling like you’d rather just take the loss on this semester. But this is the time to dig deeper.

You’ve come so far. You’ve already survived midterm s week, which you probably didn’t think you would make it through that, but you did. Yes, your sleep and grades may have suffered, but you did the darn thing, and that’s what counts. You’re well past the halfway mark and pretty much only have a month of school left until the semester is over. Plus, Thanksgiving was last week, and what’s better than that?

Soon enough you’ll be unbuttoning your jeans because that turkey and mashed potatoes were so good it was impossible to say no, and those pies. It would be inhumane to deny yourself a small slice of each to at least try them. You’ll be surrounded by the people you love and finally be able to take a deep breath. You’ll remember why you’re working so hard in school.

Unfortunately, you’ll probably have to go back to a plethora of major assignments, but all you have to do is push yourself. Find a group of people to go to the library with or your favorite study spot. It’s much easier to study and complete work when you have people around you who are in the same position. Make a killer study playlist, so you can enjoy the time you spend doing work. Most importantly, take breaks! It’s okay to have some time for fun too — even if it’s crunch time. Studying for hours straight does not benefit your health or your happiness.

When it seems like the end of the semester will never come, take a step back and think of all the fun you’ll have over the holidays and winter break. You’ll be able to see all your friends and family from home, and maybe you’ll even go on a trip. Either way, once you’re well into the break, you’ll be begging to go back to school anyway. So, stay focused and keep working hard. You got this!

Megan Sayles

Maryland '21

Megan is a sophomore at UMD. She is a multi-platform journalism major, and is hoping to pursue social media managing in that field. Meg loves playing piano and boating. Her favorite quote is, "You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy," by C. JoyBell C.
Ambriah Underwood is an avid reader and writer. In 2016, she graduated from Baltimore City College high school becoming an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme recipient. She attends the University of Maryland as a senior, pursuing a degree in journalism with a minor in Spanish. During the spring of 2018, she copyedited news, opinion and diversion sections for an on-campus, student-run publication known as The Diamondback. After spending a year writing for Her Campus Maryland, and, later, functioning as an editor as well, she became co-Campus Correspondent. She plans to further her involvement with the group as well as gain more editorial experience through internships and by continuing her passion for storytelling. Ambriah Underwood resides in Washington County, Maryland.