We have all been there, haven’t we? The crashing-down moment. When a student life becomes quite laborious. When work upon homework piles up. When studies need to be completed. Chapters need to be reviewed. Essays need to be written. Revisions need to be done.
Hopefully you had enough time this spring break to recover from the worst of those moments. Your mid-terms were over and you were just glad that they were. Spring break was something to look forward to. And hopefully you enjoyed yourself to the fullest.
But if you were like me, you were probably questioning why a spring break cannot actually just be a break for once? From the tedium of the monotony of studies. From recognizing that you have readings to catch up on, labs to practice, and exams to study for. From counting down the days you couldn’t enjoy because you were buried in busyness. And from realizing that Spring break was over in just a few days. lol
Busy as a bee? You bet.
But I am not mad or frustrated. It is what it is, right? College life is challenging and no one pretended to you that it’s all a piece of cake. There are hard times and easy times. It just so happens I got caught up on some really important matters to attend to. And consequently, my spring break became just another prolonged study session.
Or wait. Many years ago when I was in high school, college was advertised as a fun place. As a place of celebration and independence and relaxation. As a worry-free zone.
But no seed germinated from the ground by mere luck and fate. There are many unseen labors involved. Spring is not simply a time to celebrate.
Spring means to get ready for the full speed of summer. This requires ramping up our efforts to succeed as a student and a learner, inside and outside of classroom.
One thing that should be crystal-clear is that studying is no walk in the park. It takes determination, strength, persistence, failure, and time. The most successful of men and women today were not spending the springs of their lives sighing over so much work left to do. They were eager to meet challenges and to try their damnest best to overcome them.
Before the spring break, one professor told me that the weeks after spring break tend to be the busiest ones for everyone. It’s a time when departments and centers begin to realize that they missed something that needs to be completed before the semester is over. It’s when students undergo a deeper study of their coursework. The college animates in anticipation of a summer not too far away.
And yes, summer can be a time for relaxation. But it’s also a time for focusing your sights on other available opportunities. That can come in many forms: internships (paid ones!), research positions, studying abroad. There is always so much to do and so little time.
Which is not to say that life is boring. Life’s as exciting as we make it to be. All I am saying is that don’t pretend, should you desire to reach your goals and work towards your ambitions, that being a student is a walk in the park.
You will reap the fruits of your labors only if you plant the seeds of your success early on. That demands work and toil. Just ask the hard-working farmers.
