I’m sitting here on a Friday night, in my pajamas, eating a tub of ice cream, deliriously happy as I realize I’ll be done with this semester in just six days.
I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say Spring 2021 was certainly not nice to us — even though I begged for mercy at the beginning of this term — and we were hit with a wave of mental exhaustion none of us could have prepared for.
Spring semester was weeks of intense work, and the Wellness Days Boston University offered us felt more like days full of stress rather than a breath of relief. It’s as if I’ve been running on 2% energy for the last month and a half, and this week is going at an agonizing pace.
But I’m also freakishly proud of myself and every BU student for making it through this tough semester.
I wasn’t on campus for my entire sophomore year, so as much as I’d like to do a wrap-up, I’m afraid it won’t be very interesting. I truly missed the late-night study dates I would have with my friends, the spontaneous adventures and the weekends when we’d hide out in some kind of cafe and pretend we were being productive when in fact, we were too busy posting aesthetic-looking photos on Instagram.
An entire year of waking up at 6 a.m. was also something I did not prepare myself for. I thought it would be fine — after all, I’d fall asleep right after class ended. But it’s just not the same. Even when I woke up after a long nap, I still felt like a zombie. The whole day didn’t feel right, and I relied a lot more on caffeine this semester than I ever have in my life.
I, of course, can’t forget my friends and family. We couldn’t exactly gather together, but they were the ones who kept me sane through these exhausting four months. We’d go out and get bubble tea and sit in a cafe, or go down to my apartment’s game room and play pool terribly. I had these small moments of bliss, and while I desperately wanted to sit down at a movie theater or go shopping, I’m glad I wasn’t on the verge of a breakdown every week.
Moving houses, going through multiple dental surgeries and having an ungodly amount of homework due every single day during a pandemic was chaotic to say the least. There was just so much going on — so many responsibilities I had to juggle that it became overwhelming, and I felt like I was about to grow white hairs.
Now, on to schoolwork. Besides the first half of my senior year of high school, these past four months have been the most stressful and challenging time of my life. I was going ballistic. It felt like I had an exam or paper to turn in every five minutes, and when I finally had a second to catch my breath, the professor would swoop in with an email saying the next assessment had been posted and was due the following day.
The work seemed never-ending. And although I know I’m exaggerating, it felt this way in my brain, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. All I did during my free time was text my friends about how tired I was, and I always received similar texts back.
We were all not having a good time. I never knew how badly we needed an actual Spring Recess until now.
My brain has officially melted. It’s completely burnt out, and I can’t really tell you how I’ve survived these past few weeks, but I’m hoping that same miraculous energy will last until the final day of classes.
But through all this mental exhaustion, I have to admit I did learn a few new skills. I still procrastinate to the point where my professors would most definitely be concerned for me, but I know how to multitask now. I know how to handle my responsibilities so that even though I’m still insanely stressed, I can get the work done. So, it wasn’t all bad. I learned some good, and I hope you did, too.
I’m proud I got through this semester. And I’m also excited to get back on campus in the Fall and finally go to classes and see my friends like a normal college student. I’d like to think I earned it after … whatever the hell this year was.
But we did it. Pat yourself on the back, you deserve it.
