Post Spring Break- Adjustment Back to School!
As good as it feels to reach the Spring Break point in the semester, it can feel just as overwhelming getting back into the swing of things! A week off is a perfect time to relax and rewind, go on a vacation, spend time with family and friends, and overall give yourself a break. However, adjusting back to the day to day school/work routine can be difficult! Effectively navigating through this mini transition is key.
As I'm writing this, I have just returned to Columbus from my Spring Break vacation. Over the break from school, I visited my friend in Dallas for a weekend and then traveled home to New Jersey where I showed one of my best friends I made at OSU around town. We spent a few days touring around New York City, showed her around the Jersey Shore (hence the cover photo), hit all the good food spots, and spent time with friends and family. While it was a very fun and eventful break, having travel plans can also make it hard to get your head back in the game of grad school, especially when there was not much time for unwinding.
Now, as I have returned back to campus, I definitely feel the pressures of diving back into the schoolwork grind. My biggest piece of advice is to simply take it one day at a time and really put your time management skills to work. Before break even started, I took deep dive into what assignments would be coming up the first week back, gauged how long each would take, and mentally prepared myself for what I was getting myself into when returning. If there is anything that could be done ahead of time, that of course is helpful as well, but that is not always a reality. Therefore, once Monday came around, I knew what had to be done, when I should budget to do it around work and classes, and overall felt less stressed. Giving everything a date and timeframe to be done is making this adjustment week much more bearable. I also make sure I still have time for me and time to relax, ensuring balance during a busy couple weeks. While it can be very hard mentally to go from a break back to school, taking time for yourself and minimizing the stress of overwhelming work and is crucial.
