How will I ever get through this week? How will that paper ever get written? When? Will I look like an idiot when I stand up to give my presentation? Probably, since I haven’t had time to plan it.

Oh no. I forgot all about that poster project that’s due on Tuesday. I think I am going to die before I get all this homework done.

Inner thoughts of a stressed-out student’s mind racing toward the end of a semester.

How did the last two weeks of school sneak up on us? It seems like yesterday that I first started going to this batch of classes, trying to determine if they would be my downfall or my saving grace, or grade, this semester.

So what happened? And how, in the name of all that is holy, am I going to finish everything in time for the end of the semester?

I know I am not the only one feeling this way. But why do we always let ourselves procrastinate to this point? It seems that a plague has been put upon college students and that plague is called planning. Some of us have it, but so many of us don’t.

Usually, when asked, I would say that I am pretty good at juggling several commitments at once. But suddenly, I feel as though the floor just collapsed and I am running as fast as I can to pick up the pieces of my once well-ordered life.

So what can be done? I’m struggling to find the answers to that one myself. If you ask someone at the Counseling Center, they would probably tell you to get lots of sleep, eat well-rounded meals and try not to procrastinate.

But at this point, it’s not an issue of whether to procrastinate. It’s an issue of keeping your head above water.

I think part of the problem may be that we all were so excited when the warm weather hit last week. Sitting inside typing a term paper just didn’t compare to playing Frisbee in the quad or laying on a blanket reading a book. Granted, that book could have been related to research or class work, but it’s much more fun to curl up with a good work of fiction under a tree.

So what can we do now? My plan of attack includes little sleep, early mornings and lots of strong black coffee. At least that is the plan that seems logical at this point.

This semester is coming to a very abrupt end. Almost everybody will agree to that, although many have different theories as to why. Some say it is because Spring Break seemed early; others say it is because Easter was so late this year. Maybe it’s the weather; maybe it’s the fact that I don’t have a job nailed down for the summer, maybe…..

Whatever the reason, what we all need to do now is buckle down, write our papers and start packing to go home for the summer.

It’s just so much easier said than done.