I consider myself a masochist—prone to putting myself through unnecessary stress and more responsibilities than necessary. Although I always managed, my eventual expiration date arrived earlier than expected. I pushed myself too hard, and I did more than I could handle. Though I hold more regrets than your average teen, I can easily say that doing too much during Summer A takes the cake.
Spoiler: it cost me my sanity.
THIS SEMESTER KICKED MY A** HARD.
Academically, my GPA tanked since I convinced myself that 12 credits during a sped-up semester would work out. Clearly, I forgot about everything else that filled my plate. Of all the classes that I took, I’d like to shout out Introductory Linguistics for ranking as the most stimulating and annoying course of them all. I am speaking it into existence now: I am never taking a linguistics class again. Looking back, I regret not setting enough time to study and do homework. Plus, I had let things pile up last minute as expected. For once, academics ranked low on my list of priorities, and now I’m facing the consequences.
I ALSO SUFFERED FROM A SERIOUS CASE OF DISORGANIZATION.
Usually, I’m useless without my bullet journal. This semester, on the other hand, I could barely remember to set alarms to wake up. Every sense of time management became lost on me. Dealing with way too many credits, crazy work hours and a pitiful attempt at a social life definitely threw off my schedule. After missing a few deadlines, I reevaluated my strategy. Thanks to Google Calendar and some much-needed rekindling with my journal, I think I have a better handle on it now. Tip: make a study schedule so that you stop telling yourself that you don’t have time.
ASIDE FROM THIS, I UNDERWENT YET ANOTHER LIFE-ALTERING MENTAL BREAKDOWN.
You know, those days where you reevaluate your major, your career path and just about everything in between? I recently opened up to a lot more people about me majoring in English to become a (shudders) English teacher. It took me a good portion of the summer semester to feel reassured. After talking to friends and family and doing extra research, I know my choice would not become a last minute one. I made a plan; now I just need to stick to it. Also, now that Summer A ended, I should (fingers crossed) find time to study for my teaching certification.
QUALITY TIME GETS EXPENSIVE REAL QUICK.
Staying home for the summer meant catching up with old friends and spending more time with family. To remedy this financial burden, naturally, I picked up a part-time job in retail. The paychecks give me much-needed peace of mind. However, the stress of dealing with non-stop customers in a crowded store continues to chip away at my brain cells. Once someone hands you a hundred dollar bill for a $13 transaction, all the fun and games of working as a cashier stops. Friendly reminder: treat your cashiers and servers nicely this summer—lines get longer when schools stop running.
A FEW THINGS KEPT ME AFLOAT.
My friends listened to all the mental breakdowns and helped me get through those last minute assignments due at 11:59 p.m. on Sundays. Writing in my bullet journal and for College Magazine (woah… inception) acted as a stress reliever in the midst of a crazy semester. As a masochist, I know I should expect to keep overworking myself in the future. However, I promise to never take 12 credits in a summer semester or give up scheduling again.
And with all of this, I say, “Goodbye, Summer A.” I won’t miss the long nights and excessive coffee consumption we shared.
