{"id":1081,"date":"2024-12-09T18:29:20","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T18:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/?p=1081"},"modified":"2025-08-05T14:55:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T14:55:28","slug":"finishing-the-semester-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/2024\/12\/09\/finishing-the-semester-well\/","title":{"rendered":"Finishing the Semester “Well”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today we will take an alternative look at what it means to end the semester \u201cwell.\u201d At first, this may feel like an achievement-related question. How can I end with the highest grade? Working the hardest? Sliding into my last final having expended the last of my human-ness so I can collapse into bed immediately after it is over?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I get it. I did this. Through two masters degrees and two professional licensure exams, I was this person. But, now I\u2019m old(ish). I\u2019m not a college kid anymore. And, I think I\u2019d do it differently if I had it to do over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does it Mean to Finish the Semester “Well?”<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Finishing the semester well means remembering it is a semester, not a week. Finals can be intense but it is important to remember that the labor of a class is intended to be spread over multiple weeks, not one. If you didn\u2019t do well before finals week, consider studying enough to pass rather than attempting to redeem everything at once. And, if you are going into finals week with a good grade, enjoy the fruits of your labor. Consider taking the A instead of the A+ and doing something enjoyable as a reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finishing the semester well means just what it says\u2026finishing well. I have had countless students in my office over the years who throw sleep, hygiene, eating well, responsible substance use choices, and relationships out the window at the end of the semester for an academic goal. There is rarely anything worth sacrificing your health and well-being to achieve in that exact moment that could be achieved in a healthier way over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finishing the semester well means taking time to think with perspective. The narrow window of finals, checking out of the dorm, heading home for the holidays, shifts in schedule, etc. can raise our feelings of time-limitedness and scarcity. When you are feeling the pressure of not having enough time, take a moment to consider what will matter in 5 days, 5 months, and even 5 years from now. You may remember that while the moment can feel like a sprint, the reality is life is best approached as a marathon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5 Practical Questions to Help You End the Semester “Well”<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

1. Am I scheduling basic self-care along with studying?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Am I unnecessarily sacrificing healthy daily practices for an unnecessary goal (i.e. striving for an A when a B will do)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Who can you call if you feel overwhelmed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Do you need to talk to your professor(s) about realistic goals to finish their class?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Are you sleeping, stretching, walking, eating, showering, etc.?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 Compassionate Questions to Help You End the Semester “Well”<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Originally published December 9, 2024. By Anne Rulo, Author, Speaker, Therapist. www.annerulo.com. FB\/IG\/Twitter @annemrulo<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today we will take an alternative look at what it means to end the semester \u201cwell.\u201d At first, this may feel like an achievement-related question. How can I end with the highest grade? Working the hardest? Sliding into my last final having expended the last of my human-ness so I can collapse into bed immediately […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[105,101],"tags":[74,10,8,19,7,73],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1081"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1081"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1081\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1087,"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1081\/revisions\/1087"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mopip.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}