The final hurdle

I can’t believe another semester has come and gone. Each semester feels quicker than the last. As always, there is that one week when my world falls apart. The last hurdle of major assignments and exams that somehow all seem to be crammed into one week. This is the week when my sleeping and exercise patterns and my diet go out the window and I descend into a hunched over, square-eyed mess of a student. The week seemed to stretch on and on with each day passing with a pain in my chest and anxiety constantly at the back of my mind. Each quiz, assignment and exam came and went and before I knew it, it was Friday and it was all over.

It was 11:30pm and I had submitted my last major assignment. I sat back realising I still had half-an-hour to work on the assignment but also knowing I was happy with it and had no-idea how I could possibly improve. I felt the tiredness behind my eyes and yet that stinging sensation of being wide awake in front of computer screen. Almost instantly I felt lonely, lost, relieved and purposeless.

Firstly, this is normally the point when my house mates and I celebrate. When we have all our work completed and we’re ready to cut loose. I felt a deep loneliness and disconnect from how I have experienced the final hurdle of exam/assignment pressures in previous semesters.

I now have over a month gap before second semester begins. However, as lost as I may be feeling, I am looking forward to getting my health, eating and self-care routines back on track. This will be some time for me to reconnect with hobbies and habits I haven’t had time to thinks about and plan my future semester and goals.