Considering that this semester has been a rollercoaster, it is to be expected that dead week would suddenly sneak up on me. On this day last year, I remember laying in my dorm room in a panic while in tears on the phone with my dad because of the emotional stress of trying to prioritize projects between summer plans and wishing that they weren’t thousands of miles away in a foreign country. Last year’s spring semester was way more tame than this year, mostly due to still having fairly basic lower level classes and no job; however, I will take being busy and feeling accomplished this year over feeling worried and bored any day.

Last year at around this time, I was pretty much at my breaking point. So much was going through my head. Most notably, I was figuring out what to do over the summer and how to achieve my biggest goal during it - learning to drive. Thankfully, my experiences of overthinking at the end of the semester have built me up. While it caused me to be an emotional mess at the time, overthinking taught me how to manage recurring thoughts as well as allowing me to find my inner peace and strength by letting me know what was most important and essential to my mental health.

Finishing up the semester is no walk in the park, but taking a walk through your local park (for Marshall students, I highly recommend Harris Riverfront Park in the evening) will definitely take your mind off of any worries and help you find your inner peace. Finding strength is especially difficult, and it does involve some breakdowns. Trust me when I say that a journal and a pen go a long way. Writing has always been a great getaway for me, and journaling what is occurring in my life as well as how I plan to work it out has probably been my best form of meditation without the actual zen.

As for the projects and finals, having them all at once gets rough, but that’s when you need the syllabi the most (and having your university’s final exam schedule on hand is pretty helpful as well). Trust me when I say that the library will become your best friend, especially in a study room for group projects. As a person who has always preferred working at night, there is no other study method that I have enjoyed more than getting a couple of group partners or a good friend to study and talk about current issues with in a peaceful, secluded study room after a long day.

By going to class in the morning, working and journaling during the day, taking a walk in the evening, and studying at night, I have established a schedule that keeps me busy yet sane when it comes to finals time.

Take advantage of the end of the semester and establish a schedule so that you can remain strong and stand up against any battle.