It’s that time of year: the dreaded midterm season. With dwindling study spaces, grade-defining exams right before spring break, and multiple looming deadlines, it’s no wonder stress levels on campus are rising.

This part of the school year is hard for so many reasons: We are bogged down with schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and the search for next year’s job or internship. All too often, we get caught up in the rat race and forget the real purpose of university — to learn about the topics, majors, and classes that we are genuinely curious about. 

Regardless of why anyone chooses to come to WashU, everyone works hard to get here. That desire to work hard is likely guided by an inherent purpose that is different for everyone. Take a second to reflect on your “why.” What is it that drives you when you have to trudge through tedious coursework? As you study, try to remember these motivations and infuse them into what you do. 

It can be hard to appreciate difficult coursework when the end goal for many students is securing a job or internship. While you do not have to love all or even most of the things that you study, it can be helpful to find little things that make the monotony of studying, class, or lab just a little more interesting — maybe even fun. Collect fun facts from lectures, study with friends, or apply the topic of a class to an issue you are passionate about. Sharing our studies with the people that we love and relating what we learn back to our core interests make it easier to find your “why” and rediscover your passions for learning.

The Student Life editorial board comes from all sides of campus. Some of us study writing and want to be journalists, others are design or photography majors in the Sam Fox School, and many of us are studying to be doctors, chemists, entrepreneurs, or engineers. While we have different approaches to midterms, all of us believe that passion can power perseverance. Passion can be easier to find when we look for it in multiple places including and beyond our classrooms, extracurricular activities, loved ones and friends.

It is also important to remember that there is no shame in changing your course of study if you discover an interest in another topic. If you are struggling with your work and unable to find your “why” to the point where it adversely affects your mental health, consider switching your academic focus.

Of course, not everyone will love what they study; maybe they cannot change their academic program or want to persevere through a topic even if it is not what brings them joy. We encourage these students to take some classes that interest them outside of their major, even if they are far and few between. All students should also remember that it is also okay to take a class pass-fail, whether it be a general education requirement or a topic that interests but intimidates you. Beyond academics, a love for learning can be found outside of classrooms — in clubs, daily conversations, and even through campus events like cultural shows.

This midterm season, think about slowing down and appreciating what you are learning. Breathe. Find your community and strength in numbers. We’ll get through these weeks together.

Staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of our editorial board members. The editorial board operates independently of our newsroom and includes members of the senior staff.

Matt Eisner | Managing Sports Editor

Sylvie Richards | Managing Forum Editor

Kate Theerman Rodriguez | Senior Forum Editor

David Ciorba | Senior Forum Editor

River Alsalihi | Senior Forum Editor

Lyn Wilkins | Junior Forum Editor

Sydney Tran | Editor-in-Chief

Riley Herron | Editor-in-Chief

Mason Sutton | Special Issues Editor

Sophie Schwartz | Senior Scene Editor

Bea Augustine | Managing Design Editor

AnaElda Ramos | Managing Illustration Editor

Zoe Rhodes | DEI Editor

Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor

Hannah Much | Junior Sports Editor

Will Rosenblum | Managing Scene Editor

Mac Motz | Photo Editor

Sophia Hellman | Senior Scene Editor

Ella Giere | Photo Editor