What to do when the shine of a new school year has worn off. Christmas is now over, the new year has been brought in or whatever they call it, and now it is just cold outside and everyone is miserable. Valentine's Day is approaching and you are still single. Shocker. You think the only thing you have to look forward to is your tax return, if it is any good. Then, you think of how many weeks and assignments that syllabus says, and you start to pre-stress the stress that you might end up having. Trust me, you are not alone, but there is some things that you can look forward to.

Picture this:

It is may, the sun is out and the high is 82, you have just finished your last cfinal, and you plan on sleeping until 1:00 PM tomorrow. Finally you can see the light at the end of the 18-credit hour, 12 hours of field work, 8-page final paper, tunnel. This seems so far away as I stare at my upcoming assignments and wrecked GPA. It seemed even further when I busted my ass on an iced over sidewalk this morning walking to my 9 AM. But, the key to getting through this rough patch is to keep all your hope alive.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

First, spring break is closer than you think, less than two months away. This means a break from all the classes you had to add in order to keep you from graduating late. Plus, a change in the same old boring scenery can help you to come back stronger than you were before. Or it could make you never want to come back, either one is cool as long as you figured it out.

Second, it can only get warmer from here (hopefully). Yeah, it might be below freezing right now and maybe you got the flu, but before you know it your favorite nort/XL t-shirt combos will make a come-back. Also, get your toes ready because the burks will be back too. Plus, everyone knows you are cuter in the summer, so might as well end any relationship you are in now and get ready for “single for the summer” season.

Third, you are one semester closer to graduating. As scary as this may seem, imagine never having homework again. Imagine making more than $10 an hour. Imagine not staying up and studying all night just to be wrecked by a final at least five times each semester. Growing up may seem scary and not all that fun, but yet still exciting. Just think of all you have accomplished so far and what is still to come.

Second semester is upon us and everyone should have a kick-ass mindset, especially my fellow students that were also murdered by their fall classes.