As another Spring break passes and these fleeting moments of relaxation come to an end, I have found myself overwhelmed with assignments, a part-time job, and the stress of planning the future of my academic career.

In a recent conversation with friends  — all of different educational backgrounds and life goals  — I saw that I was not alone in this. I noticed a shared phenomenon that was unbound by our discrepancies: the feeling of the impending stress that comes with the final two months of the semester.

 From communication majors to biology students, to undecided majors, no one was untouched by this burden.

One of these friends, NECC student Kia Dimakis, shares her experience. “Juggling four courses and my part-time job has been harder to do lately.”

Dimakis, a communications major, has found herself in a position similar to my own. “Even though I fight it every day, I procrastinate my work and fall behind; I feel hopeless at this point in the semester.”

She, like many of us, is someone who takes pride in academic excellence. When we fall behind, it’s hard to motivate ourselves to crawl out of the hole, even though we may have dug it ourselves. This creates a vicious cycle of discouragement and procrastination.

NECC Alum and current UMass Lowell student Ian Miller shares his experience with mid-semester burnout.

“I tried to have fun and rest this Spring break, but all I could think about was everything I had to do once I was back at school,” Miller said.

Miller will receive his bachelor’s degree this upcoming fall and has been juggling the responsibilities of completing this degree while also planning his enrollment into a master’s program.

“It feels like no matter how many days off I have, I can never take a break because there is always something that needs to get done,” he said.

When this conversation with my friends had ended, we were comforted by the idea of not being alone in this feeling; I remind myself that despite any difficult circumstances, I have done the best that I can, and will continue to do so.

Amid the stress, there are moments of clarity when we give ourselves the time to find peace and patience.

Dimakis reminds her fellow peers, “just focus on your goals; you’ll get there, even if you fall behind every once in a while.”

So, while we may all differ in circumstances and the severity of them, I urge you to remember the resources that are available to us. Not only are there academic coaches and counselors who will aid in your academic struggles or in constructing a schedule that works around your lifestyle, but we have each other to fall back on when we need help; all we have to do is reach out.

Resources:

https://www.necc.mass.edu/succeed/student-support-services/counseling-services/

Northern Essex’s Student Government Elections came to a close on March 3, with just 44 NECC student votes counted. The special election filled five positions on the board; however, two positions remain vacant.

 “In the past, I remember seeing low voting numbers, but it was always at least 100 votes. Some students voted more than once, and some students who are not enrolled tried to vote, but 44 is the final count after taking those votes that don’t count out,” said Stephanie Haskell, SGA adviser and election organizer.

 Voter turnout is a drastic shift from previous years. For example, in 2020, all candidates needed at least 50 student nominators just to appear on the ballot. However, the board has some theories as to why these numbers were so low.

 “The voting period was shorter than we usually have, and the voting numbers showed that […] This was the first time using Microsoft Forms instead of Google forms since we now have this available through our college account. We wonder if some students didn’t vote because they had to verify their account,” said Haskell.

 Despite the low turnout, SGA election results have been shared via social media and NECC’s weekly email updates. The winners included President Franziska Hoene, Programing Chair of Lawrence Ozgur Sutlu, Programing Chair of Haverhill Sarah Pachano, Marketing Chair Toni Pavao and Secretary MacKenzie Lio-MacDougall.

 “When I found out that I won the election, I was in shock, and then I became super excited. I am glad that I won because of all the work I get to do for SGA,” said new SGA President Franziska Hoene. 

 Hoene’s new position as president has left her former position as vice president of the Haverhill campus vacant. This is the second currently vacant position alongside treasurer, which had no runners this past election.

 “Currently, the main things I am working on is the Golden Lamp Award and the NECC wifi problem,” said Hoene.

 This past election also welcomed three new members onto the SGA board, including Programming Chair of Lawrence Ozgur Sutlu, Programing Chair of Haverhill Sarah Pachano, and Secretary MacKenzie Lio-MacDougall.

 “Franziska has been a great president already, and Stephanie Haskell is an amazing adviser […] I wanted to contribute and participate in the school, and I know my strengths, and I thought I could be more of service in the programming chair or marketing,” said new Programming Chair Haverhill Sarah Pachano.

 Students interested in becoming a member can find information via SGA’s blackboard page under student life on www.necc.mass.edu. Additional election news will be available through NECC’s weekly email updates and @neccsga and @neccstudentlife.

On Wednesday, March 9 the presidents of Massachusetts’ fifteen community colleges released a statement announcing that the college campuses would transition to mask optional environments.  NECC announced that as of March 21 its campuses would be mask optional.

After almost two years of wearing masks, this transition was a big change for many students.

After about two weeks without masks, students are sharing how this adjustment has impacted their lives.

One of these students is Maddie Marshall, a dual enrollment student at Northern Essex Community College (NECC).

Marshall stated, “It is a relief after two years of COVID to get back to some form of normalcy. I feel like I am able to interact with people better and it is nice to get to see people smile.”

Gianna McKeown, a dual enrollment student at NECC, agreed with the importance of seeing others’ smiles.

She added, “The lifting of the mask mandate allows for non-verbal communication that has been lacking throughout the pandemic.”

There are many positives that come with the lifting of the mask mandate, however, the shift from masks to no masks was rapid.

Quick transitions can always be challenging and can be anxiety-inducing for some students.

Avery Hochheiser, a dual enrollment student at NECC, initially chose to keep wearing her mask when the mandate was lifted.

Hochhesier said, “At first I was a little nervous to take off my mask after it was a part of my life for so long. It gave me a sense of comfort when everything was so uncertain.”

After a few days, Hochheiser decided to take off her mask.

After taking off her mask Hochheiser said, “I felt nervous but excited to get into a new routine.”

Whether wearing a mask or not, the students all expressed that everyone had been supportive of the decision they had made.

When Avery decided to continue wearing her mask,  she stated, “The students around me respected that it was my personal choice and everyone continued to treat me with kindness.”

McKeown added that masks haven’t gone away completely and it is nice to still have them there when cold season comes around.

She said “One of the few downsides to taking off masks is a lot of people are starting to get colds again. However, the school going mask optional has allowed me to not wear one when I’m comfortable and wear one when I am sick to keep others healthy.”

All in all it is a personal decision whether or not students and teachers decide to wear a mask.

Many students have expressed that the school environment has been a supportive environment and it was comforting for many to get back to some form of normalcy. In the statement from the Massachusetts Community College Presidents they said that they would continue to “closely monitor conditions” and reserve the right to change the mask-optional status if necessary, however they are optimistic that they will not have to.