Spring is a season of new beginnings. Many people are taking advantage of time outdoors without the cold sting of winter air. Others are cleaning and decluttering their space to make room for the fresh air. Some of us have the misfortune of dealing with seasonal allergies. Though there is a demographic that has more than nice weather to deal with when it comes to spring. The end of spring semester is a stressful period for any college student. Springtime brings final exams and final projects for many of the students at Winona State University. That’s not even mentioning the stress of moving out on top of it.
One student at Winona State, Alana Clark, described spring semester to be “pretty unique because that’s the end and then we have summer,” Many students have summer on their minds and are ready to coast until the end. Clark, though, continues to describe their semester, saying “This year I was really able to be present in the moment, and I tried to give everything my all.” As a business major, Clark shares how this last semester has been very interesting with finally being able to learn what they want to. Each major has their own things going on and different activities to do so not everything is the same for everyone.
Another student, Rachel Smith, as an education major offers their own input on their end of term. “It’s definitely a busy time and I think it’s a busy time for everybody, but with Ed [education] majors especially, with field experience and getting all your other assignments in and final papers and big final projects.” Having finals and projects on top of being obligated to be somewhere would be stressful for anyone. Anyone who works has an additional time commitment, meaning more stress at the end of the semester.
What’s important to remember though is that you’re “not gonna be able to do everything but get what you gotta get done and make sure that you don’t overwork yourself,” says Jacob Hanson, a STEM major and Residents Assistant. You just have to make the best of the time you’ve been given. While sometimes all nighters are the only way to get everything done, it doesn’t hurt to talk to your professors and let them know what’s going on. When asked about their end of term experience Hanson mentions, “there’s some stuff that I wish I paid a little more attention to, but I think I’m doing what I got to do.”
When asked to sum up their end of the term in one to two words, several students described their end of term similarly as “chaotic,” from Smith, and “time crunch,” by Hanson. Though one had a more positive description, Clark described their end of term as “beautifully unexpected.” The majority of students are stressed through the end of the semester, but they’re taking everything in stride. We can only do as much as we can. So, make sure to take breaks and a moment for yourself during these trying times.
