End of the semester should be celebrated

So here it is again- the end of the semester. All of our blood, sweat and tears over the last three and a half months have brought us to the end. We've passed through the scenic fall break and more recently the stomach-stretching Thanksgiving break. Now the holiday season is upon us, and we couldn't be any happier to take a much needed break and just relax. I don't know about you, but this semester has completely flown by for me. Then again, it feels like every semester does that. One day I'm getting syllabi for my classes, and the next, I'm taking finals, getting projects done and planning what I'll be doing over break.

While we're on the subject, there's one thing that kind of muddles the nostalgia and celebration of the end of the year. That would be the deluge of work that seems to hit us about one or two weeks before finals week. Now, I can't say that this is exclusively due to professors. The majority of the time, we are aware of the work we have to do several weeks in advance. Heck, sometimes we even know that a project will be due at the end of the semester at the start of said semester. We just assume we'll have time later or that it won't be that bad. Sometimes, this can be a pretty grave mistake.

Despite this, sometimes it can be due to professors. We might not learn how to do a specific part to a project or even the entire project until about two weeks before finals week, when it's due. Or we won't get assigned a project until a few weeks before the end of the semester, although for obvious reasons, this is a bit rarer. This can put a serious damper on spending the last few days with the people you have journeyed through the last three and a half months with. Hopefully these are group projects so you can work with others, brainstorm, and bounce ideas off each other. Whenever you have more heads together, work that might be viewed as difficult suddenly loses that stigma.

Nothing can take away from the feeling of accomplishment that accompanies turning in lengthy projects, though. Same thing with showing up for a tough final and feeling as though you completely smashed it- you get that feeling like you are on top of the world. All the work over the semester culminates to that moment. All the time spent finally pays off as you think about all the things you will do over the month break- family, friends, food and mainly relaxation.

Luckily, we don't get grades back the next day or some of those feelings would probably backfire. For the most part they don't though.

So as the semester comes to a close, take time to remember and think about all of the good times, all of the bad times and everything in between. I mean, they all come together to make us who we are when it's all said and done. Three and half months may not seem like a long time, but I'm almost positive that you probably aren't the same person you were when we started classes on August 29.

Now, I have a message to all students, faculty, and anybody who might be reading this.

Celebrate your holiday, embrace your family, enjoy being with your friends, and return fresh and safe, ready for another life-defining semester at Slippery Rock University.