Ah, the middle of the semester. It’s the time when getting up for your 9 a.m. is starting to look a lot like sleeping in. At the beginning of the semester, you put your best foot forward: outfits are at their trendiest, class notes are at their cutest, and your room is at its cleanest. As the semester drags on, it might get increasingly difficult to find motivation to go to class and complete work on time. It’s easy to feel burned out and like you need a break from school and Tallahassee. This semester, I experienced mid-semester burnout, and it felt like there was no way out of the constant exhaustion. Hope is not all lost, though. Here’s how I’m getting through the mid-semester scaries.
1. Therapy
I cannot stress enough how helpful therapy is and how much it’s aided my personal growth. I love my therapist (shoutout to Jacquie!), and having my weekly debrief with her helps me get through not only the semester but life in general. Having someone to talk to about all the nitty-gritty details of life helps carry the weight, as you never have to go through anything alone! With my therapist, I worked through the source of my mid-semester unhappiness and what steps to take. Therapy can also teach you strategies for self-care, as well as what to do when faced with negative emotions.
Finding a good therapist might be a little difficult sometimes, as therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. However, it’s so worth it, and I feel like everyone can benefit from therapy. A good place to start is the Counseling Center at FSU, as they can help find a therapist for you that works with your insurance, style of therapy, virtual or in-person preferences, and much more. The Counseling Center is located on the second floor of the Askew Student Life Center and is available for walk-ins, as well. If you ever need someone to talk to as soon as possible, they’re a resource you can go to.
Discovering the best therapist and building a routine can be a challenge, but in my opinion, it’s so worth it. You’ll be so glad you put in the effort to find the right therapist! If the first person you talk to isn’t up to your liking, don’t be afraid to talk to multiple others to find which one feels more like home.
2. Getting out of town
No, really. Sometimes, a change of scenery is necessary. This semester, I took a trip to Gainesville to visit my boyfriend for a weekend, and it gave me a fresh perspective on school. Going out of town made me realize there’s more to life than the college I go to, the work that’s due, and the tests I have coming up. Often, when I get bogged down in the middle of the semester, I get tunnel vision and focus solely on the things that have yet to be done or the annoyances of daily life. Traveling out of town forced me to look at the bigger picture and realize that this difficult time will pass! It doesn’t make the middle of the semester less difficult, but it does help lighten the load when you realize there’s more to see and do, and soon enough you’ll be back home again. This new perspective is refreshing!
3. Taking care of yourself
This can be way easier said than done. It might seem like a corny cop-out, but I promise it’s not. Taking care of yourself takes different forms, but it’s so important. I feel like throughout the semester, we often tend to push self-care to the side. When we complete x, y, and z, is when we’ll give ourselves a break. When we get through this week, we’ll reward ourselves by watching our favorite Netflix show or eating good food. In reality, self-care every day helps keep us going. Having something to look forward to at the end of the day, such as watching an episode of your favorite show, is exciting and can help you unwind at the end of the day. Having a little Starbucks refresher while relaxing on Landis is personally one of my favorite things to do on campus, especially with the cooler weather, and is a way I like to treat myself.
Taking care of yourself can also look like having good sleep hygiene (getting enough quality sleep), drinking enough water, and eating regularly — all of which are easier said than done. But, when we prioritize and set aside time for these needs to have them met, it’s so much easier to move along the semester. In my personal experience, I struggle with finding enough time to eat, especially as a college student.
I settled for feeling hungry all the time, trying to see if I could save time and money by not eating as frequently. The result? I was miserable. Being hungry and having low energy all the time is exhausting for a college student with a rigorous schedule and busy routine. I’ve been starting to prioritize meals and snacks more, as my body deserves the fuel because it does so much for me! I enjoy my day much more when I’m not on an empty stomach or at least knowing when I’ll eat. Figuring out how to take care of ourselves can be difficult, but personally, I’ve already noticed a tremendous change in my mood when I prioritize my eating needs.
All of this to say, college is an interesting period of time where we have to learn to take care of ourselves without our parents, and self-care is an invaluable investment to make.
The mid-semester scaries are real and in full swing. I hope these tips help you get through arguably one of the most difficult parts of the semester!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!