If you’re reading this during class, stop.

As much as we at The Knight don’t want to say it, you should put this paper down and pay attention.

If you’re then tempted stare out the window and pout about how classes have kept you from enjoying this beautiful weather, stop.

Your attention needs to be 10 feet in front of you from watching the PowerPoint that your teacher is stumbling through. That is, if you want to make this whole college experience worth your while – and money.

This is usually the time of year when a wakeup call is needed for those of us on campus. The weather begins to break. Even though Erie’s winter was a mild one this year, it wasn’t exactly Miami-mild. The hibernation of the student body will end soon and whether it’s catching baseball or a few rays, hours being outside will trump hours in the Nash Library.

The middle of spring semester is also a time when school fatigue sets in. There are only so many times you can listen to the same person go on and on in nine months just as there is only a limited number of Saturday afternoons you can spend studying. It’s all made harder by the fact that you’ll be packing up to head home for the summer in a little over a month.

My point is, don’t let this happen to you. It’s time to make a commitment to refocus on academics for only a few more weeks. Despite being so close to the end of the year, a lot can happen before it’s all said and done.

One week of putting schoolwork on the backburner can lead to a semester with more crash-and-burns than Rob Schneider’s movie career.

As for the seniors, this semester may mean more than you think. Instead of coasting the last few weeks, realize that this is the time to really boost your GPA with a solid performance or put an exclamation point on a stellar college career that shows employers that you finish what you start.

And there is no better way you can start showing employers that than by beginning to listen to the lecture that began 15 minutes ago. Get to work.