It’s been a long four years, and this last one has been no different. Now that spring break has come and gone, the rest of the semester is laid bare, and the end is finally in sight. Graduation is only seven weeks away. That’s seven more weeks of essays, exams, final presentations, production nights — and then I’m gone! I can kiss Trinity goodbye. But, if I’m being honest, I think I’m ready to be done right about now.
I’m tired. There’s a growing temptation to let my remaining responsibilities sort themselves out, to skip the classes that are growing ever more monotonous, to just live out the rest of my college days as leisurely as I want to. I don’t want to have to do the readings for my political science class, nor do I want to stay on top of the multiple 10-page papers I have due later in the semester. Besides, I know that graduation is basically set in stone. All I have to do is make it seven more weeks, which might be easier said than done.
Struggling with senioritis isn’t really how I thought my last semester of college would go. At one point, I envisioned myself energized and ready to step into the life of a new graduate. Now, I don’t want to even think about what comes after college until I see the rest of my degree through and have that diploma in my hands. Yet, even though I know I need to finish strong, I just want to rest. Surely I deserve it. This has been my busiest semester yet, with the responsibilities of classes, clubs, my job and more all piling up. I’m desperate for a reprieve.
It’s not in my nature to slack off, but I don’t ever remember feeling quite as swamped as I do now. Maintaining the motivation and effort for another 50-something days feels unimaginable. God forbid I need to take some time for myself and recuperate a little so I can handle the stress of back-to-back assignments and process the uncertainty of my future. The struggle to balance my academic obligations and my own personal well-being is one I’ve really had to reexamine this last semester, but, if anything, it’s made me more prepared for the demands of what my life could look like in a few short months.
There’s no doubt that savoring this last semester has been hard with everything going on, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look back on it as a positive time in my life. It might just be a little different than I expected.
