Why going into spring semester was harder than starting college in the first place
‘The warm walks on the Oval have been replaced by a bitter wind that cuts you to the bone’
So you’re a freshman. You had a blast your first semester. You met new friends, you found your way around campus, you learned new traditions, and let’s be honest you probably partied a little too hard. But you adjusted to college work and did great on finals. Everything was shiny and new.
Everything was great at home over winter break. You saw all of your old friends and family. Everyone was so excited to hear about your new friends and experiences back at school. And you were so excited to tell them. Then all of a sudden the first of the year hit and somehow you’re back at Ohio State.
So many freshmen find it particularly difficult to get back into the swing of things after Winter break. Spending three full weeks doing absolutely nothing and having little to no responsibilities is nice. But once you’re back listening to a professor droning on about all of the excessive assignments and midterms that need to be done before the end of the term, reality starts to set in.
The newness of college has worn off. The warm walks on the Oval have been replaced by a bitter wind that cuts you to the bone.
The temperatures below freezing aren’t exactly ideal when walking to an 8am lecture. Most of us would much rather cuddle up with a cup of hot chocolate in our dorms than trudge through the snow to our classes. And when I say trudge through the snow I mean slip and fall on ice and awkwardly pretend like it didn’t happen.
There are no “welcome back events”, concerts, or fairs. And let’s not forget about Buckeye football games. We have no football games to go to this semester and that in itself is just upsetting.
This semester is a grind. It is our introduction to the working world. Doing things because we are expected to. We don’t want to go to class. Walking on campus is no longer exciting. We do it, we grind. We have a desire, a goal ahead, we just have to stay focused on it. Staying focused and driven through the winter term will be tough. The toughness will serve us well. It will make the future days easier, it will make the easy days more enjoyable. So bundle up, Buckeyes. Get out there, work hard, and strive for excellence.