As I was unpacking my stuff from Thanksgiving break, a thought crossed my mind. “How stupid is it that I am here for three weeks?” Yes, a lot can happen in three weeks, but the concept of coming back for only two weeks of classes and one week of tests still boggles my mind. I had just completed 11 straight weeks of college. With the exception of a side quest back to central Pennsylvania over the Columbus Day weekend, Hoboken and New York City had been my new life.
Having finished unpacking, I sat down in my dorm and mapped out the next few months. “Three weeks in Hoboken, then four weeks at home, then straight back to Hoboken for the spring semester.” Honestly, looking at my calendar and around my room, I didn’t feel the same as when I had left almost a week prior. To me, these next three weeks feel like a filler episode. For the next three weeks, I am stuck in limbo.
Now, not to say the next 21 days won’t be important, I am well aware I need to lock in so I can finish strong in all my classes and study hard so I pass my finals. But, compared to the majority of the semester, there seems to be less urgency in my motivation.
Before Thanksgiving, there was this pressure on me. “I have to stay on top of all my assignments and keep my grades up, so I don’t lose my scholarship.” The transition out of my high school academic habits was rough, but I quickly adapted and changed my study habits to better fit my new academic schedule and life. But now, there seems to be a lot less pressure. Although my workload has definitely increased in these last three weeks, I feel a lot less pressure on me. I am adapted to my new environment, and I have a plan on how to achieve the grades I want.
It’s honestly strange the way my brain is perceiving these next few weeks. In the days before I went home for break, there were some logical conclusions. I attended a friendsgiving with some new friends I had made, had one last party before another friend group went their separate ways for the week, and locked in the Saturday before Thanksgiving and got all of my homework for the week done. The lead up to Thanksgiving felt like a nice conclusion to this time in my life. Now I’m back for three weeks, seeing the friends I had just said goodbye to not seven days ago.
In these next three weeks, life will look different. Classes are wrapping up, and professors are giving their final lectures and homework assignments. The final schedule has gone up, and I am already prepping for Christmas, whether that’s planning when to come home or purchasing and making my family and friends’ Christmas presents. Ultimately, what I am trying to say is Thanksgiving felt like a social goodbye — these next three weeks just seem like I am kicking rocks just to do it all over again.
Now of course, I will make the best of it. Obviously, there is an insane academic lock-in approaching, and the Christmas party after finals will be legendary, but for the time being, three weeks of limbo starts now.
