Well we've reached that time: the weather is getting colder, the leaves are beginning to fall, and so are your grades and the amount of money in your bank account. It's the middle of the semester, and all you want to do is go home for the holidays, stuff your face with actually edible food, and have a month break from school. Here are the key signs the mid-semester slump has hit you hard.
1. You started this semester aiming for a 4.0, and you have now resigned to the idea that Cs get degrees.
You thought 18 credit hours, joining three different organizations, and trying to have a social life was going to be a walk in the park. Most likely, you have now dropped at least one of the organizations, a class, and only hang out with your friends to have coffee and study sessions in the basement of the library.
2. Crying has become a daily occurrence, and you've learned to accept it.
You aren't sure why you're crying—you're not even sure what brought it on. Could have been the F you just got on your math exam, could have been the thought of having to wake up at 8 the next morning, or could have been the fact that the cafeteria only had Cocoa Puffs when you wanted Reeses Puffs. Honestly, at this point in the semester, anything is enough to bring on some waterworks.
3. You contemplate the outcome if you didn't leave your bed for a whole day.
Sure, you know you need to go to class and you know you have responsibilities to fulfill. However, that doesn't stop you from the morning battle with yourself over whether it's actually worth moving when your alarm goes off. You think: Sure, the worst that can happen is I will fail all my classes but ugh, my bed is so comfortable.
4. You have resorted to eating strange food combinations and calling it a meal.
By this point, you are entirely tired of eating the dried out chicken, weird pastas, and deep-fried mystery meat that the cafeteria has to offer for every meal. So you have started to fill up on random combinations of food, my personal favorite being soup with a side of yogurt.
5. You have actually thought about what you could do with your life if you were to drop out of college right now.
Sure, it would be better to continue on and get the degree you are already thousands of dollars in debt for. However, sometimes the idea of becoming a circus performer, professional eater, or running off to Hollywood to try and make it big sounds a heck of a lot better than writing that 15-page paper you have due in two days...and you haven't started.
6. You've become apathetic about showing up to classes actually on time.
At the beginning of the semester, you would set your alarms to give yourself extra time in the morning. This is to ensure you would get to your class 10 minutes before it actually started. Now you hit snooze 2-3 times, roll up 10 minutes late with a coffee in your hand and a passive aggressive scowl on your face for having to actually be awake.
7. Netflix has become your best friend.
You participate in Netflix and Chill, but not in the way that most people take that. In a way, that you literally sit down with Netflix and chill for what is supposed to be a study break but turns into a three-hour binge watch of "American Horror Story" or "Gossip Girl," and you're not ashamed of it either.
8. Your roommate has become your therapist.
When you're crying over homework or something entirely irrational, your roommate is there to listen. Primarily, because she knows exactly how you feel. At this point in the semester, you both have seen the good, bad, and ugly of each other. This meaning that you can crawl onto each other's beds and start crying and the other one will try to fix your problem with food of some sort.
So yes, the mid-semester slump is a thing. Chances are, if you're in one, at least some of these problems apply to you. Just hang in there, Thanksgiving is coming soon and so is the end of the semester. Unfortunately, that means finals are also comingm but so is the highly-anticipated winter break where you can sit back for a month and recuperate from your mid-semester slump.
