Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

With the ninth week of class coming to a close, the end of the semester is quickly approaching. For Colorado State University, there are only 15 weeks in a semester before finals week. With everything wrapping up, it still feels like just yesterday was the first day of class. We were thinking about where to sit and who looks like they would be a valuable class friend. 

However, during this time of year, it’s common for students to stress because the end is almost here. While midterms can be stressful, it’s crucial to take a step back and reflect on what one can do to have a successful semester.

Introspection is key in reevaluating the progress that has been made so far. The awareness of what’s going on in our lives and our work can seem overwhelming at first, but this is the first step to recognizing and reorganizing stress. In doing so, we have to ask ourselves a big question: What things get in our way or mentally block us from being able to work efficiently? 

Makenna Marshall, a journalism student at CSU, finds it difficult to juggle her extracurricular activities and her social life during the latter half of the semester.

“It gets difficult for me when all my midterms are at the same time,” Marshall said. “It being all in one week makes it hard to find a balance for what I need to study for. I also do cheer five days out of the week, which takes at least one to two hours out of my day, plus games. Trying to balance my classes, extracurricular and social life definitely gets in my way from being able to be efficient with my work.”

This is the final push, and we all need to keep trying — that means going to all of your classes and putting effort into all of your remaining assignments.”

Identifying these blocks of time will allow us to recalibrate for the rest of the semester. Keeping track of what needs to be done and when it needs to be done is crucial in the remaining weeks of the semester. 

This can be done by either continuing to use a daily planner or starting one. It’s never too late to use a planner. Seeing every remaining assignment laid out can reduce worries about how much homework you have. 

Anna Schwabe, an equine science major, copes with the semester by keeping everything she needs to know close by and enjoys the satisfaction of crossing things off a list.

“I keep an assignment notebook that helps me stay current with my due dates,” Schwabe said. “I’m involved with all sorts of groups, which at times can make it difficult to balance my work and social life. … Every week, I set myself a new list of what needs to be done.”

College work can be draining on a student’s mental and physical energy, especially when there’s a lot to do and not much time to do it.

Even if there is a lot of work to be done, it’s important to take a break from your work and recharge. This can be done by just setting your work aside and getting some fresh air or taking a snack break.

During the semester, while your life may only consist of school, work and everything in between, finding time for yourself to relieve stress is one of the most important ways to refresh yourself for the rest of the semester. 

Even if you are doing well in your classes, it’s important not to get too comfortable. This is the final push, and we all need to keep trying — that means going to all of your classes and putting effort into all of your remaining assignments.

Whether this is your first year in college or your last, never stop trying. You’ve made it this far, and it’s never too late to get a grade up. Taking all of this into consideration, we can go into winter break feeling strong and confident in our academic abilities. 

Nathan Sky can be reached at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @NathanSky97.