Post-Semester Structure Loss

By Sofia Psolka 
Web Content Contributor 

Reaching the end of the semester is always difficult for me. Three months of hard work, strict hours, even down to the routine shuttle schedules—I’ve got each second of every day to the “T”! But now it’s lost. School is over and I’m thrown into this liminal space of not really knowing what to do with myself, until spring throws me back in front of the bull again.  

I could consume my time with all those TV shows and movies I need to watch (I’m looking at you, “Breaking Bad”) or return to the video games I failed to finish (thanks to the completionism mindset Amaya refers to in her blog) or finish those scholarship essays I’ve been dreading.  

The urge to turn off my brain for a month is strong, but the anxiety of not having something to do consumes me. How am I to combat this conundrum?  

Ruminating around my apartment flopping in and out of bed, opening and closing books, thinking about making food or bugging my coworkers while I’m off-duty all seem like fantastic time-killers, but a total waste of time.  

So, instead of bumming around, I set out to make plans– an introvert’s worst nightmare.  

How do I go about making plans with friends? 

Just reach out. Plain and simple. It’s corny, and overstated in self-help Tik Toks, but reaching out to that person you can’t stop thinking about is the first step. If you want to get a group together, make a group chat! Super easy. Everyone knows what’s happening in real time.  

Even though I was sweating through my shirt, I compiled a chat with some friends and proposed a Christmas get together. We had all talked about how badly we wanted to celebrate with each other before we left for the holidays.  

Wouldn’t you know it—as soon as I made the chat, everyone hopped on the idea! We made charcuterie and butter boards, cookies, dinner and charged up our Switches.  

When the day of the get together came, my anxiety creeped back in, the need for structure closed around me, but as soon as my first friend arrived my mind was put at ease. From then on, it was smooth sailing. 

We all had an amazing time, even if we couldn’t figure out how to play Hello Kitty Monopoly, and it was a good way to say goodbye. 

Don’t forget yourself! 

Another overused mantra, but it’s true. This is something I struggle with so if you’re beating yourself up, don’t worry, you’re not alone.  

Something I’ve been doing, when plans fall through, is return to comfort hobbies. Playing piano, taking a walk or biking, listening to new music are my current social salves.  

Hanging out with people is fun; it’s another thing to have fun with yourself.  

Hopefully this winter will give us the rest and relaxation we desperately need.  

Signing off 

Now for the goodbyes: this is my final blog post at KTSW. There were ups and downs, battles for motivation and creativity, but I’m grateful for the experience I gained.  

I am a better writer, thinker and reader thanks to The Other Side of Radio.  

Happy holidays, happy New Year and good luck!