Let's be real. Spring semester is always the hardest semester to come back to. I mean, you just spent 3 weeks vegging on the couch, binge-watching an entire series, and eating the leftover cookies and pies that have been overflowing from your refrigerator since Christmas. It's next to impossible to gain the same motivation you had at the beginning of fall semester, where you were overconfident in your ability to get good grades and excited to get back into a routine. Now, you're back at school, realizing you didn't spend any time with the friends you promised to get together with even though you "miss them so much" and you didn't indulge on Mom's home cooking enough because, even though she's a below-average cook, anything's better than college food. Not to mention that if you go to college on the east coast, you're returning to three months of heavy jackets that don't go well with any outfit and hiding out in your dorm room to avoid the negative degree weather.
It's a rough adjustment. You go from waking up no earlier than noon to setting five alarms to make sure you make it to your 8:30 a.m. Syllabus week hits you harder than expected, demanding more reading than your brain can comprehend, considering you haven't read more than the description of a Netflix movie all break. You look through the syllabus and find yourself sweating because you have 3 essays due on the same day in a week and you feel like you forget how to even write your name.
Last year, spring semester turned out to be way more fun than I anticipated, though. Seasonal depression is real, and I suffered the three months of brutally cold weather. But right around the time when work started to feel overwhelming, the weather perked up and it was safe to go outside again. Studying with friends on a blanket on the lawn made homework seem relatively easier, and I no longer counted on a Starbucks hot chocolate to get me through the day.
I recognize last spring semester as the semester that brought me my truest friends in college. I met the most people from hanging out on the lawn listening to music and sharing stories. There were also plenty of ventures into the city with people I barely knew (nothing brings people closer like trying to navigate through the NY subway system). Another great part of the spring semester at Fordham is spring weekend! We have an entire weekend dedicated to food, entertainment, parties, and a huge concert on the main lawn.
Despite the dreadfulness that accompanies spring semester (and I know fall semester has its downfalls too), I have high hopes that the warm weather, spontaneous trips to the city, and concerts on the lawn will make up for the major stresses that are spring semester.
