Reversing the spring break crash

Heading back to the books after a week of rest feels similar to returning to prison after the escape of a lifetime.

Although spring break’s end hits like a jolt, it’s important to take a breath and focus back on the academic road lying ahead. 

During the final few months after spring break, the work gets harder, our brains pulsate, we grow more and more eager for summer break to arrive. It is normal to experience an educational slump after a break filled with fun and festivities and summer on the horizon, but it is also necessary to care for the time in between. 

Our brains like to hit the reset button once we are away from the keyboard, and it can feel almost unfamiliar to start getting into the swing of things again. Clicking on the D2L tab, checking our inboxes, opening up a blank word document — these steps can feel like an assignment in itself at this point in the academic year, but we must persevere. 

Whether spring break consisted of seven days rotting in bed or seven days partying at a nightclub, a week without our minds at work is bound to bring about exhaustion. We broke a routine, and our bodies recognized the change in schedule. However, drinking plenty of water, eating a hardy meal, working out and pushing for an early bedtime can get us back on track with our health. 

The intimidation of the end of the year itinerary strikes the hardest after spring break. Professors are cramming in last-minute lectures to prepare for final projects, essays and papers. Our list of to-do’s may become lengthy, but we need to take each day at a time rather than all of them at once in order to finish the year with a bang. 

For those graduating college like myself, it is especially difficult to continue keeping up with a day-to-day school routine on the brink of turning the tassel. It becomes increasingly difficult to balance a regular school and work routine (a handful in itself) with job applications, as well as the anticipation of landing one. We need to be extra mindful in these next few months to not overwork ourselves and appreciate every day we have left in university. We are almost there, and it will go by faster than we know it. 

Until the beginning of May while the obligations pile on, remember the feelings of stress and anxiousness are completely normal, and as much as they are normal, they are also temporary. Make an effort to reach out to those around you, fellow students who may be experiencing similar emotions and offer support. Spring break may be over, but summer break is just around the corner ready to embrace each Minnesotan in a big, warm hug.

Write to Mercedes Kauphusman at mercedes.kauphusman@mnsu.edu