So, it’s about that time of year now when you’re dragging yourself through to Thanksgiving break wondering how the heck the semester has gone by so quickly and you can’t stop thinking about all that food that will be on the table when you get home. But since there are still about three weeks till Thanksgiving, let’s not rush it along and break the college year down into four stages.
Now although magazines and tv commercials have the “back to school stuff out” starting in June the end of August is really when it all begins. Your skin is tan, your beach bod is on point and you are starting up that roomie group text again all talking about how excited you are to get back to campus and see all your friends. Maybe you can’t wait for that first weekend at the bar or another year of frat parties, but never the less you are away from home, staying out till the early hours of the morning, grabbing some late night dominoes and starting the year off right. Stage one comes with some anxiety too. Thoughts such as “who am I going to sit with in my classes?” “I need to get to class early to get a good seat….but like not too early.” “I better not have a lot of homework the first week because its syllabus week, right?” and even the dread that comes with checking your bank account after dropping $400 on books. Then after a few weeks in when you’re finally feeling settled, it’s time for one of the greatest days of the year, almost like Christmas….HOMECOMING. What better reason than a football game to head out to the field and party all day with friends and alumni. As the leaves are changing and you refresh your Instagram feed to find some basic white girl fall pictures, October rolls around and for some of us it’s time to start thinking about Halloween costumes and for the rest of us, you decide you’ll think about that the night before. And before you know it its November 1st and the semester is more than half over.
As you enter the beginning of November, your midterms are behind you, but you are probably now realizing how much you have to do before you can head home for Thanksgiving. Chances are you have a lots to do these first few weeks after Halloween because it’s almost impossible to have a fun weekend like Halloween without at least one exam the next week. It’s also about time you broke that winter coat out of the closet because the temperature is dropping and chances are you and probably all of your roommates are getting sick. You know these next few weeks will consist of late nights at the library, spending more time on social media than studying for your exams. If you make it to the end of November you feel a sense of relief because you can finally take a break (even though it’s only for about three days) and spend time with family and eat lots of food that doesn’t come from a dining hall. Family and football are nice and all but it’s more than likely another “F” word is on your mind…finals!! Although there are only three weeks until winter break you know these next few weeks are going to be hell.
Okay, so now you have been home for about two weeks and you are thinking about all the time you spent at the end of last semester wishing you were at home when now all you want to do is get back to school. The snow is pretty and all, but if you live in new England you are probably getting a little sick of it by now…at least while you are at home, because when you’re at school, bring on the snowdays!!! The days are dark and long and going out at night requires you wear a jacket, that hopefully you don’t lose, but you’re just happy to be back on campus and probably adding pictures to an album on Facebook named something to the effect of “spring semester” or “round two.” It’s here when a lot of us will probably start planning our big spring break trips and others will look on enviously or just be glad they get to get a week off from studying and exams and don’t care if they don’t go anywhere but out bed. Oh and if you are wondering why this semester is call “spring semester” because all you have seen is winter weather…yeah lots of us are wondering that as well.
The last stage of the year beings when you get back from spring break. Although you have to kick your butt into high gear and get a semesters worth of work done so your GPA isn’t terrible going home for the summer, there is a lot to look forward too as well. Tickets for the spring concert will go on sale, you get to buy a cute dress to wear to your spring formal and you start seeing ads for bathing suits and summertime. But before you head home for the summer and before you have to buckle down for your finals there’s one more chance to have some fun on Cinco de Mayo! When may 6th rolls around it’s time to take theses test and get home for the start of your summer job or internship and catch up with some old friends from high school. Another year is in the books and just think you are one year closer to the real world!!