The stress doesn’t end with finals

Moving sucks.

Packing up everything you’ve kept in that small apartment you’ve lived in for the last nine months into the boxes you kept at the back of your closet. Trying to figure out why there doesn’t seem to be enough boxes for everything when you didn’t buy that much new stuff over the last year. Going through everything and realizing how much junk you really have and need to throw out or donate.

That all has to be done no matter where you live, and though it’s necessary, it’s still a lot of work. Then there’s packing everything into a single car, or storage shed using the mad skills you gained from playing Tetris for hours on end as a kid, and realizing that more than one trip is still going to be needed.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the idea of moving. I like imaging what my new apartment is going to be like, who my new neighbors are and whether I’ll get along with my new roommates. I like the sense of adventure that comes from sleeping in my new room for the first time and getting to organize it the way I want to.

What I don’t like is the process of moving. Especially when my apartment’s move-out date is mere hours from my last final exam, or during a time where I have other commitments with very little room to negotiate another time.

Moving out during finals weeks means that I have to pack everything up, get my stuff in my car and make sure the entire apartment is clean with my hand still cramped from the last of my tests I’ve spent all week trying to study for.

Then there’s the week of homelessness that follows, because the room I’ve rented for the summer isn’t ready yet and the check-in date isn’t until the Friday after finals unless I want to pay extra money.

So what do you do in that time between homes? Go back to your parents place for a few days and keep everything you own in that small room you grew up in? Cramped, but do-able. Couch-surf with friends who aren’t moving or have already moved? Their roommates need to be okay with sharing precious space. Go camping? That’s fun as long as the nice weather holds out.

Wherever students go for that week, it’s stressful. Just living and going to work during that time is stressful, not to mention those students who are taking summer classes as well. I applaud those who went back to school the Monday after finals, so soon after the two weeks of hell and stress-induced headaches that were caused from studying and moving out.

If this last month has been stressful to you, then you’re not alone. You’ve survived a year of school and summer is here. Whether you’re working, gaining residency or earning extra credits, make sure you enjoy your break. Reward yourself for a semester of hard work. It gets better from here.

-miranda.lorenc@gmail.com

@miranda_lorenc

Miranda Lorenc is a senior in biology and English technical communications. She just moved into her new apartment and is excited to spend her summer in Logan for the first time.