A Good Hill to Die On // The motivation we all need

Can I say, I think we have made it. This long semester of radical weather, too many construction projects affecting our walk to class and a water main break that left the quad and me without water for a night has certainly added to the upset throughout the semester, but now feelings of joy are almost overwhelming.

I can say as a sophomore, the spring semester and I have a love-hate relationship. Yes, it goes by so fast and you are done in around four months, but that means you are in a constant state of go-go-go. We get to experience some beautiful days of lounging in the quad and eating lunch outside, but that takes until April to achieve. Plus, with a ridiculously weird finals schedule, it feels so odd to almost be done with the semester. And after engaging our brains pretty much since August, it feels impossible to make it these remaining three weeks.

So while in my very widely shared opinion, these next few weeks of tests, papers and projects will take everything out of you, summer is so close. I can nearly taste the sunscreen, lemonade and chlorine of the pool.

For this article, I am going to take a slightly different approach and give you my best tips on how to relax in these coming weeks of stress and anxiety, because I know none of us wants to die on a hill where you allow stress to win.

First, get yourself that coffee, whether it be a Dunkin’ iced coffee with french vanilla and blueberry or a Starbucks Pink Drink. Sometimes, those little $5 sweet treats can turn the whole week around. And speaking of sweet treats, Oakland and the surrounding Pittsburgh area are home to many amazing sweet treat locations. 

You can take a quick trip down Forbes and find the heavenly place that is The Milkshake Factory, where you can obtain pure sugary milk in a cup or — my new favorite overpriced indulgence — chocolate strawberries with whipped cream.

If you are feeling adventurous, I recently — after living in Pittsburgh all my life — finally tried Page’s. The hour-long wait was less than desirable, but every minute was worth getting to dig my spoon into that sundae. 

Second, it is OK to scroll on your phone when needed. Now, do not get distracted and forget why you have your notes in front of you, but five minutes of TikTok is actually a great way to relax. I am no science-y person, but you cannot stare endlessly into your laptop hoping to code your brain with information. 

Lastly, continue to count the days. It is perfectly normal to have counted and know there are 26 days — from the date of when this article was published — until finals week is over. So since school is almost over, please do not spend each minute studying or just lying in bed. 

Hopefully, in the following weeks, April will gift us some sunny and warm weather, so plan a nice walk in the park, take your lunch outside and spend time with friends and family when possible. College is more than just classes, and finals season does not mean you have to be locked in the library.