The spring semester is finally coming to a close with less than a month away. This is such an exciting time, especially for the graduating seniors. Yet at the same time, some students who have more semesters to come are on their edges with finals and all of our last final assignments. I have recently talked with various students about their mental health and how they are feeling about finals.

A freshman at USM who wishes to remain anonymous said, “I am terrified. I don’t want to end up a failure or mess up my career chances. I am really and truly struggling mentally and emotionally. For my midterms, I studied and studied and still did not see the results I had hoped for. This is extremely hard on me because outside of USM I have no one to help guide me. It’s not like my parents or anyone in my family have gone to college. So, I have no outside help. Even with the resources available at USM, I still feel highly unprepared.”

This is a time when we should be getting excited about our summer break or even our summer classes [if you choose to partake in those]. The Center for Student Success located in the Cook Library has numerous resources at your ready such as academic coaching and tutoring. As far as mental health is concerned, I feel it is very important to reach out to a trusted family member, friend, or even your counselor. USM offers counseling through the Student Counseling Services.

On the contrary to all the fear and anxiety, there was a handful of students who were excited and eager to take on the end of the semester. “I am feeling a bit relieved. I got my apartment for next semester, and I’m slowly moving everything out of my dorm room,” Olivia Bowlin, a sophomore at USM said. “My mental health seems to be good! All of my finals are online, so I’m doing a bit at a time.” Another student at USM, Riley Dawkins, said that he is excited and ready for his summer break.

So with two completely different groups of people, those who are pumped up and carefree and those who are absolutely terrified [like myself], it makes you wonder, could USM help fill in the gaps? It wasn’t until this semester that I knew anything about the Student Success Center or that we could receive free tutoring. I found that information through one of my professors.

I would think that USM would make sure that everyone had equal and a profound amount of knowledge about all the resources that are available to us. The bottom line is this: Reach out to your professors as well as your advisors and counselors to see if there is anything that you may be missing out on that could potentially help you succeed. Good luck to all of you. Bring home this semester with your very best.