During my first semester of college, I thought I would never want to go back home. Yes, academics were challenging, but they were also exciting. It was the first time in my life that I was able to take courses that genuinely interested me, not courses that I thought would "look impressive" on applications. I felt motivated to push through difficult exams and long essays because I was learning about subjects that I thought were relevant to me.

Once second semester rolled around, my drive to succeed noticeably plummeted. I was enrolled in more difficult classes and the course load was much greater than first semester. The thrill of being a "college student" had worn off, it felt more like just going through the motions of school.

I'm sure my fellow peers feel the same way: there's this excitement that comes with being in your first semester of college that simply fades during second semester. The new environment becomes stale, the events that different clubs plan seem repetitive. Your plan of "reinventing yourself" has already become a success or a failure. Now, you're just another student trying your best to stay awake during that unfortunate 8:30 AM class.

When it came time for spring break, I was overjoyed to finally have a moment to breathe. I averaged about three hours of sleep per day for two weeks during midterm season, so I was ready to fly home and relax. Of course, I immediately became bored after about two days (since there's nothing to do in the suburbs of Connecticut), so I believed that I received enough rest to push through the rest of the semester.

It was after I returned back to campus that I realized the reality of my school year: there were no more breaks during the semester, not even just a three-day weekend for some random federal holiday. There was nothing to really look forward to besides summer vacation, but when you just finished spring break, summer seems pretty far away.

Realistically, the end of the semester is closer than it seems. It's really just around a month and a half longer, but that feels like an eternity when you're well aware of all the final examinations and research papers you have to complete within that timeframe. When I expressed this fear to my mother, she quickly tried to console me by saying, "it'll go by so much faster than you think." Then again, she doesn't have to take a statistics final, now does she?

In order to survive the rest of the semester, I need something else to look forward to, some other way I can push through and regain my sense of determination rather than just sluggishly dragging myself along to the end.

At this point in the year, it's more important than ever to give yourself a break and just have fun. Whether that means going to the movies during the weekend or treating yourself to a nice dinner with a friend (which, in college, means splurging on Taco Bell instead of eating at the dining hall), you have to take the opportunity when you can. It's difficult to stay motivated when the only thing you're waiting for is the end of the semester, so providing yourself some moments in-between is essential to stay sane.

As a college student, it's intimidating to take a break when you're surrounded by people who are constantly at the library, constantly studying, constantly working to be a stellar student. Of course, there's nothing wrong with working hard for your academic aspirations, but there's a point where you have to put your individual needs first. Realize you're still young, take advantage of the opportunities you're given in college.

Sparing an hour to indulge in a television show isn't going to be the difference between a letter grade on an exam. Give yourself a break. Then, maybe you'll be able to finish this semester without counting down every minute to summer vacation.

I'll use that as my excuse to binge more episodes of Brooklyn 99.