If you were to go around and ask a dozen of random Bates student what is the hardest month in the school year, I guarantee you that most of them would say March. Between the weather rapidly changing from a snowy nightmare to a sunny paradise, and professors handing out assignments with a very short timelines for completion, many students find themselves exhausted by the end of the month. I can speak from personal experience. As a sophomore and a double major in psychology and politics, I’m currently enrolled in courses required for my majors. However, each course requires a large amount of time and energy, and I have been stretching myself pretty thin. When you add how the courses never stop presenting new material nor give you the chance to digest old material because there is no break to indicate a time for professors to review, it can be overwhelming. Not to mention how half of the time it’s always raining or snowing, which can invite negative thoughts or emotions into a person’s consciousness. Overall, for me, March can make me question if college is really worth it. Is it worth my sanity? But that’s the thing! You have to stop yourself from reaching this point and bring yourself out of this self-loafing state. One of the things I do to remind myself about why I chose to go to college is going to the gym and working out. Now, I know many might say that they don’t have time to go to the gym. But hear me out. You can always find time to do something you love, or carve out time if it means you’re straightening out your mind. The gym is a great way to blow off all of that pent up anger one might have, or it could distract you from work by forcing you to focus on a different aspect of your life: your health. You can finally work on that summer body you’ve been talking about all winter. What if the gym isn’t your thing though? How about television? Television is another way to escape reality and fantasizes about the beauty in life. And depending on the show, you start to appreciate coming to Bates College more. If you ever need some motivation, “Beyond Scared Straight” helps me remember why I read books and focus on school. It reminds me that I have a purpose and that I do matter to my friends and family. It reminds me that my successes also belong to the people that care about me. All in all, you could take my tips as tools for self-care or possibly come up with your own strategies. The point is that you have to take care of yourself during rough times like this, otherwise you’re going to exhaust yourself. The health of your mind, body, and soul is just as important, if not more important, than your GPA when trying to achieve success.
