As everyone gets back into the swing of things this week, some may find it difficult to readjust to everyday school life.
After several days of sleeping in and little stress, it can be hard to push yourself back into the routine of 8 a.m.’s and extracurriculars that take up a good portion of your day.
Despite that hard-to-accept fact, it’s important to keep in mind that in the grand scheme of things, we’re halfway to the end!
As of the time I’m writing this column – Sunday, Oct. 13 – we have eight weeks until finals; to put that in perspective we arrived Aug. 18 and between then and now, that period totaled eight weeks.
See how fast time flies? It may not feel this way now, but with classes heating up with more work and more deadlines, time is going to zip by.
In order to finish strong and complete your classes with grades you want, you have to remain focused and energized.
Now, that’s easier said than done; exams and papers and even projects will complicate life, and maybe even cause you to be dismayed. As the semester carries on, energy will in some cases become nonexistent.
However, thinking long-term, overcoming these setbacks will pay off handsomely down the road, and you’ll be glad you didn’t allow yourself to take the easy route of procrastination and an extra nap.
Aside from the grades, consider what else is at the end of that tunnel.
When the time comes, we’ll all have the opportunity to head home for a full month of celebration and relaxation; I’m of course talking about winter break.
If the thought of going home for a month to partake in the holiday celebrations isn’t the kick in the pants you need to motivate you, then I’m not sure what is.
But all joking aside, another roadblock to the end of the semester is the fact that some students may be struggling with the impending reality of all the major tests and so forth that will dictate to a certain degree their final grade in their classes. With all that fast approaching, those things may increase students’ anxiety and cloud their minds as they seek to reestablish the groove they were in before break.
Yet, the fact is everyone reading this and even those who aren’t are all capable of achieving great things, and no matter what might be standing in the way, everyone can accomplish the goals they set for themselves with a little determination, perseverance and focus.
The next eight weeks will be challenging from time to time, but we’ll all prevail, and it will soon be time to sleep in and celebrate the holidays!

MICHAEL GUIDO
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