Abby Derkson/Winonan

The end is near for Winona State University’s seniors.

For some students, graduation feels like it is coming fast, and for other students, graduation cannot come soon enough. The last few months are often the most challenging for seniors. It may be difficult for some to resist the temptation of the “senior slide,” the last six months of classes when assignments may fall to the wayside.

Many seniors do not get to indulge in this luxury. Veronica Colletti, a political science major, has found that despite fewer courses, her workload has increased.

“I’m taking 13 credits, three of which are a research project,” she said. “There’s a lot of outside work, but not as many class hours. I have been given a lot of responsibilities…that I hadn’t had before.”

For Colletti, the added work is a welcome change.

“That helps me feel more confident about going into the real world,” she said.

Sophie Kaplan, a global studies and English literature double major, feels that her last semester challenges her in new ways. With an average of 19 credits per semester over her college career, Kaplan has taken fewer credits than ever this semester.

However, like Colletti, Kaplan finds herself just as busy, if not more, as before.

“I’m really good about piling a lot of things onto myself,” Kaplan said.

Kaplan does not have time to let senioritis take over.

“I’m too anxious to let that happen,” she said. “The idea of missing a class just drives me crazy because that’s money right down the drain that I’m going to have to pay back very soon.”

While some seniors may feel confident about stepping out into the world, seniors are still students. Procrastination can affect them as much as other students, sometimes more.

For Meghan Burke, a mathematics and statistics major, overcoming procrastination can be difficult when it strikes at the worst time.

“I always get my work done because I know it is pertinent to completing my degree,” Burke said. “I am so ready to move on to the next step in my life. I just have to graduate first.”

For writing major Nicole Johnson, this semester cannot end soon enough.

“I’ve been doing school for 16 years,” Johnson said. “You get to a point where you’re done and don’t care, like ‘just give me the grade, as long as it’s passing, let me leave,’ kind of thing.”

After four or more years in college, many seniors like Johnson are simply ready for a new, exciting adventure. They just have to make it through the last few months to get there.