It never fails. In the beginning of the semester, I am focused, determined, and productive. I study every night and make sure I attend every class. For the first 8 weeks I am the ideal college student. Then something changes after spring break. I get a little lazier, I skip a few classes, procrastinate more, and consequently fall behind in classes. This decrease in productivity is what I call my mid-semester slump. It’s the time of the semester where I lose some of my motivation and find myself longing for winter break or summer vacation.

There are multiple causes for the mid semester slump. One problem lies with spring break. It can be difficult to switch back into study mode after a week of parlaying. Going back into the classrooms with a spring break mentality causes me to not try as hard. Another, more important cause for my mid-semester slump is the length of the semester. Colleges follow either a quarter system or a semester system. In a quarter system, classes last 10 weeks. This allows classes to go by faster so students can take more classes in a year. In a semester system, on the other hand, classes last for 15 weeks. This gives students more time to do well in classes and learn the material, but it also makes the semester drag on. By the middle of the semester I find myself running out of steam.

The mid-semester slump is inevitable, it happens to everyone. The important part isn’t avoiding the slump, but how you react to it. The slump, which is a period of decreased productivity, has various lengths of time. It could last one day, one week, or the rest of the semester depending on how you respond. To bounce back from the slump you have to motivate yourself and remember your goals. Remind yourself why you are in college in the first place. Force yourself to do work and eventually the slump will come to an end and you’ll return to the person you were at the beginning of the semester!