getting through the semester

(Awashed by Nur Sarah)

In moments when it seems classes and assignments are starting to become overwhelming, I find this poem I wrote myself hidden in my notes. “It can’t be dark forever”, the phrase I need so much right now.

Often times, it can be tempting to think, “Why is university life centered around so much studying?” as if we have no other purpose. It can seem daunting, thinking about our assignments that await us, the gnawing feeling that we always need to study, to catch up with things. And all for a scroll of paper from the university.

Even during my internship, I found work genuinely more enjoyable than just studying. Sure, there were work performances due every year but besides that we were not graded every three weeks on how we were doing. I was learning a lot while trying to figure out how to do my work. I also did not find my degree to be particularly useful for my internship, leading me to question the usefulness of the degree altogether.

Maybe, just maybe I have yet to see the benefits of studying for my degree. Perhaps things will make sense later, as they always do. Time will tell but until then, don’t give up. Keep living, stay afloat amidst all the incoming work from classes. And take care of your mental health.