With the last day of classes tomorrow, it’s that point in the semester where burnout plagues the average university student. However, this is a problem amplified by the way that the spring semester takes its toll on us. Thanks to Penn’s breaks being much shorter than other universities in the surrounding area, we lament our early return back to campus rather than returning from winter break feeling well rested and refreshed.
With countless deadlines, looming summer plans, and only so many weekends left, we have no choice but to push ourselves harder to finish the year off strong. However, this becomes even more difficult when we’re not given enough time to just stop and take a breather without sacrificing our weekends and feeling guilty for doing so. It becomes much more difficult to balance your mental health alongside concerns about housing for next year, studying for finals, and even squeezing in time to hang out with friends.
One way students can try to unload some of this stress is by wandering around different parts of the city and enjoying the good weather while it’s here. While Philadelphia weather is unpredictable at times, there are countless opportunities to visit places and events in the city — like the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival happening for the next few weeks. Even walking a few streets away along the Schuylkill River can give you a pause from all of the responsibilities piling up on campus.
Taking a break to acknowledge some of the holidays we don’t get off can also help connect you with the outside world. Even if you can’t get away from campus for a day or two to celebrate, meet with some friends for dinner and find a way to force some of that human connection into your Google Calendar. But if you do have time, check out music festivals that are set to take place over the next few weeks or months when you have the time, with artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Megan Thee Stallion, and even smaller local artists headlining.
Take it from someone who’s lived in Philadelphia their entire life, most of the food near Penn is abysmal and doesn’t reflect all of the beautiful and rich spaces across the city. If you haven’t already, check out South Street and all of the amazing food spots like Nora’s Kitchen or browse through records at Repo Records.
You can even mark your calendars for events happening into the fall. Rittenhouse Square has small art showcases in the summer and into October where you can check out unique pieces and support local artists. If you really love Insomnia Cookies, but are tired of heading down to Houston Hall, check out their super top secret Cookie Lab in Center City. At some point or even now, you might feel like you’ve exhausted all there is to see in Philadelphia based on some of the travel articles online. However, there is so much more to see that isn’t listed on the internet if you just walk a few blocks in any direction.
This is all to say that while academics are the most important reason for why we endure so much stress, it’s not the end of the world if you sacrifice a few hours in your day to take a break from being at Penn. Finding ways to bring yourself joy even at your most challenging times is key to getting through the semester a little more sane. These four years go by quickly; it’s important to ensure that you enjoy every moment possible before life becomes even more demanding than it is now.
HANADI ABDULKADIR is a College sophomore studying international relations from Philadelphia. Her email is hanadia@sas.upenn.edu.
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