Cranking it out and counting down

Dec 3, 2018
3 min read

The semester is just about over. On one hand it feels like it flew by, but on the other hand, it feels like

it’s taken years. It’s honestly hard to believe I’m finishing up my

third semester at USD.

I’m still here, folks. Thriving and surviving.

Looking back on this semester, I feel as though I’ve grown a lot. It hasn’t been easy by any means, and I still have a few more challenges ahead in the last week I’m here. So I can’t kick back with a cup of hot cocoa and a pile of blankets just yet.

But I think I’m a different person than I was last year. I’m no longer so incredibly afraid. I’m no longer so homesick. And I’m no longer stuck inside this shell where I care what everyone thinks.

I’ve endured a lot of challenges this semester, big and small. Sophomore year of college is just, well, really hard. Of course, freshman year is extremely difficult because you’re in an entirely new place, away from home, with a bunch of random people and much harder classes. It’s terrifying.

But during the second year, you know how things work, but you don’t necessarily know how you fit in, or what exactly you’re doing.

Do you stay friends with the people you met freshman year? Hopefully, but you make new friends, and sometimes not everyone sticks around.

Do you still call your mom everyday? Not necessarily, but not by choice. I’m so incredibly busy, but I wish I had the time to call my mom every single day.

Do you still hang out in the MUC everyday? Well, I do. That’s not going to change.

I can’t quite put my finger on why this semester was so physically and emotionally draining. I think I've had a lot of internal struggles, and have learned to become stronger while enduring them. I found people who have stood by me and offered to help me, no matter how hard I pushed them away.

Over the last year, and these last few months, I’ve become a lot more independent. I used to be someone who wanted to be taken care of, and needed validation from other people in order to feel secure. After a chain of events, I realized I can’t rely on someone for everything that goes wrong in my life. The only person who is always going to be there for me is… me.

So I started to focus on myself, and in doing that I found this independent, confident person who thrives under pressure and doesn’t care what anyone thinks.

Of course, it’s great I discovered this version of myself, but I also realized I started pushing people away, and refused to ask for help or let someone take care of me. It’s hard, living that way. It’s something I still struggle with, but fortunately this year, there have been a handful of amazing, kind, and patient people who have made this semester bearable, and fun too.

At this point last year, I was hardly focused on finals. All I could think about was going home. I had been away for four months, and was struggling. The only thing getting me through was seeing my family’s bright and excited faces at the bottom of the escalator when I got into the airport.

But this year, I was able to go home for Thanksgiving. Not that I’m anymore patient waiting for the day I finally get to go back to Cody, but it sure made it easier on me. However, those three months waiting to go home for Thanksgiving were grueling. Sometimes, when you’re in a funk and can’t figure out what’s wrong, you just need to be with your family.

In this last week before I’m on Christmas break, I’m going to keep a few things in mind:

Manage your time well. Don’t wait to get things done, but also don’t overwork yourself. You want to put out quality work.
Take breaks. Seriously, you’re allowed to do that. You don’t have to study 24//7. Go for a drive, listen to some Christmas music, or play in the snow. Your brain will thank you.
Treat yourself. You’re working hard, it’s okay to go for that peppermint mocha or large fry from McDonald’s. Whatever gets you through, do it.
Spend time with your friends. Even though it’s a crazy time of year and everyone is stressing about finals, set aside time to hang out with your friends and relax. After all, you won’t see them for the whole break so get in all the time with them you can.
Finish strong. Everything will work out.