Southeast Missouri State University student publication

How to fight the second semester blues

Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Amber Cason ~ Online Managing Editor

With this being my last semester at Southeast, I can already feel the slump of senioritis kicking in. However, my plan to kick that slump and finish out the year strong is simple; don't deny myself the little things. I believe in working hard and being involved in a lot, but I think the key to being able to make it through second semester is to enjoy yourself when you can. If you want that brownie that's sitting in Starbucks, treat yourself. If you are locked away in Kent studying, give yourself a little break to enjoy Pinterest and a coffee to help keep you going and to give yourself a little relief. Or, if you have meetings and classes all day, try to find sometime to get outside and just enjoy the day whether that's by walking in Capaha or just hanging outside on your front porch.

And while it may not be the best for some academically, maybe even allow yourself to play hooky from a class for one day because let's be honest, we all need a day off every once and a while. The stress of classes, activities and the fast-approaching future can cause anyone to want to skip assignments and slack a little, but if you allow yourself to enjoy small things like missing a class, walking outside or taking that long lunch with friends, you just might make it to summer with your grades and your sanity intact.


Jay Forness ~ Managing Editor

Second semesters are hard. You won the battle but can still lose the war. You just got used to not having to go to class and then you are pulled back in. And whoever decided to start a semester in January thought wrong. Classes are sucky as it is, without having to be cold. Not to mention that it's all new classes, some new professors and you have no idea what to expect. Plus, you don't have the post-summer bounce of productivity.

But with a less optimistic tone, you can be more realistic with your goals. You no longer tell yourself you aren't going to procrastinate this semester (which is a lie,) and instead tell yourself you have to wake up and go to class and spend more than 30 minutes studying for a test and actually do that forum post (even though you think it's stupid and pointless and you don't care what other people in your class think.)

Spring semester is a time to aim low, but it is not a time to fail. You can do this! And by you, I mean me. But you can do it, too.


Zarah Laurence ~ A&E Editor

So you took full advantage of your winter break -- enjoying your grandma's famous Christmas cookies, a cup of hot cocoa, binge watching Netflix, trying to catch up on all the sleep you deprived yourself of across a four month time span. Now here you are, episode after episode of "Friends" so nicely still in view, with another daunting semester to tackle ahead of you.

But hey, you have one semester down, you're surely capable of making it through again. Remember your routine. Keep in mind what works best for you. Stay busy, prioritize -- you know the ropes. I like to start off with a new set of supplies. It's a new year, you've maybe got some new goals in mind, so begin with a clean slate. There's no better way to make that happen than a fresh agenda and empty notebooks. If you have to look at it as a continuation, look it as a continuation to better yourself both personally and academically. Know too that "all work and no play" isn't the right solution either. You've seen the repercussions of all-nighters and the points where coffee can't even do anything for you anymore. It's a teeter-tottered balance, but it'll help you avoid only dwelling on dreading the second semester.


Logan Young ~ Editor

Let's all be honest. No one likes coming back to 8 a.m. classes and homework after a long, luxurious, family and friend-filled winter break.

There are pretty much zero upsides to the end of this break, but after much contemplation and soul-searching, I decided that the only plus to coming back to school is the friends and relationships that are basically exclusive to this university.

Over breaks, I obviously still stay in touch with friends who don't live in Cape Girardeau, but it's harder to get together or consistently keep in contact considering winter is such an incredibly busy season. That being said, it's always exciting for me to come back and see all of the people who went home over break, especially the rest of the Arrow staff. These people help me make it through the tediousness and torture of the semester, and help lighten the burden of stress class brings.

So stick with your friends, they'll always be there to try and help you ignore how terrible it is that classes are beginning again!

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