As I sit down to write this article, I am faced with the very issue that is motivating me to write — pretty ironic, right? Many students at Hamilton deal with mental health issues during an average semester, but it seems that this semester is affecting everyone’s mental state to an entirely different degree. By now we have made it through half of an extremely hectic, condensed semester, and stress levels are anything but low. Through social media platforms such as Jodel, an anonymous Twitter-like site, students have been sharing how sad and overwhelmed they have been feeling and urging administrators to consider a ‘mental health break.’ I certainly agree with this sentiment, especially considering the loss of a fall break which would have allowed me to recharge and come back ready to work and focus better.

Writing this article, even as an editor for

The Spectator

, has become another

thing

I have to add to my to do list. Sadly, activities that I enjoy, such as writing, have become incredibly draining when added to my four course workloads and other extracurriculars. Often students may find themselves overworked or exhausted as the semester comes to midterm week. Normally, however, we would all be packing our bags and driving home for a few short days as this feeling of intense stress arose, allowing us to rest in order to come back with more energy for the end of the semester. This year, we have to remain on campus for the health and safety of the community, yet our mental health has been put on the back burner.

With the removal of fall break, students are forced to trudge on in their classes without even a single day to unwind and revive their energy. Syllabuses have been condensed to fit the shortened semester that now ends a week after Thanksgiving, rather than mid to late December. Students, myself included, have definitely felt the weight of the increased amount of work in a condensed semester. Despite the absence of a campus-wide mental health day, certain professors have opted to give students a lighter work week by editing their syllabi, while some have even given students a class off. Faculty are also feeling high stress levels this semester, as they attempt to teach or work in an environment plagued by anxiety surrounding the COVID-19 crisis.

We are all navigating the newness of life in a pandemic, and this comes with in-the-moment changes and alterations to previously established schedules and plans. Hamilton’s frequent testing plan coming into this semester was an extremely smart decision and has led to many fewer cases than similar colleges. Yet the effect of the loss of a fall break on students’ mental health was not taken into adequate consideration. Among my peers, I have noticed a decreased ability to focus for long amounts of time the past few weeks and a definite struggle with the amount of work during midterms. Having a campus-wide mental health focused day would definitely be beneficial to every student and professors’ mental health and overall well-being.

As we continue on with the second half of the semester, I urge students to check in with each other, as well as faculty, about how they are doing physically, as well as mentally. In this way, we can work together to maintain a less stressful environment by sharing our concerns before they get to the degree they are currently at. Anxiety surrounding COVID-19 is a definite contributor to the high stress levels, and this semester is unprecedented in nearly every way. I hope communication between the administration, faculty, and students continues to be open and respectful as everyone navigates an entirely new world in a pandemic.