For whatever reason, and I know that at least people who I am close with agree, the spring semester is always so much more packed than the fall. I honestly don’t know why this is. Maybe everyone is under the impression that now that we all have the fall semester under our belts, we can pile on some more for the spring, or maybe people are trying to take advantage of the nicer weather for some outdoor programming. Either way, it can feel stressful with a large number of commitments (or even just the large amount of events offered and the decision-making that comes from them).
The first thing that I do to try to prevent myself from getting too overwhelmed during the spring is to list out my priorities for the semester (or, well, for the rest of the semester). As someone who is already very busy with different commitments on campus, identifying priorities itself can feel a little burdensome. What makes the most sense for me is breaking up my semester priorities into three different categories: academic, organization and clubs, and other activities/spending time with people. (An additional tip here: I use Google Calendar, so I make each of these three categories different colors, which helps me organize while also being able to visually see the breakdown of how my time is spent).
The top thing that has helped me this semester academically is trying to incorporate given syllabus dates in my Google Calendar well ahead of time. In the past, I have been hesitant to put important syllabus dates (exam dates, big project due dates, etc.) because I know that they have a tendency to change as the semester progresses. (Spoiler alert that it took me three years to grapple with: yes, things will change; you can literally just update your calendar, and the world will not end). Adding this easy step to my semester has helped me better visualize what my weeks look like and made it easier to visually see when I should allocate time for extra studying.
Similar to academic priorities, keeping track of other commitments, including clubs and organizations I’m involved in or campus jobs that I work with using Google Calendar, is super easy. Luckily for me, a lot of my organizations already use Google Calendar, so I don’t even need to coordinate the events for my calendar. Having everything in one place can make it really easy to see what your week will look like before going into it, and can also be a nice way to look forward to seeing friends at different events!
With the nice weather and the fact that it is the end of the academic year, there are a lot more opportunities in the spring for ways to spend time both on and off campus. My main suggestion is to take advantage of on-campus events, mostly Techfest. It is really such a unique event, and the only time you’ll have the opportunity to experience it is during your time at Stevens. Additionally, make sure you get to spend some time outside! Whether that be opting to do schoolwork on a bench outside instead of at the library or taking a little walk by the pier after class, spending time outside can be a great way to take advantage of what the spring semester has to offer.
While we only have a few weeks left, there is still so much time to finish off the semester strong by both maintaining prior commitments and also taking advantage of all of the opportunities that are still offered. By creating or continuing to use a calendar, you can easily see where your time is already being spent and where you can still spare some to make the most out of this hectic spring semester.
