The cold rain pours down along with the tears of students.

Stress is stronger than willpower at this point in the semester and it can be hard to get out of the place where it feels like the endless assignments piling up on your desk will never stop coming due.

It feels hard to get out of bed sometimes, let alone get things done. Being plagued by exhaustion makes matters worse.

There are ways to survive the mid-semester blues and keep grades up while navigating them.

While it may seem like everyone is holding it together, cold dreary days can get to any person.

The key is to remember it is a shared experience and all sorts of exciting holidays are right around the corner.

From Halloween to Thanksgiving, there are experiences to be had if we can just get through the dull details of day-to-day activities.

Breaking tasks down into manageable chunks is another way to make the mid-semester blues go away.

While looking at all the assignments coming due for classes, it is easy to get overwhelmed and to want to just sleep.

However, when goals are set to complete a small portion of the total number of assignments each day, the stress begins to dwindle along with the pile of homework.

Still, it can be difficult to shake the feeling of moving in slow motion. It may feel like everything is moving at a swift pace and you are just watching it all happen, unable to make a change.

When this negativity springs up it is important to practice self-care. This could mean taking a little time to watch your favorite show or drinking a cup of hot chocolate.

Most importantly, we must remember when the blues do come, no matter what time in the semester or season of the year, it is not a character flaw or weakness that brings them on.

We get worn down sometimes because this world can be trying and we are not perfect machines made to accomplish a certain goal. Unlike the objects we create, our purposes are determined by what we choose to do.

It is not a flaw that sometimes we need a rest from the giant responsibility of deciding what we must do to become who we wish to become.

It is natural to express negativity sometimes. People that try to pretend negativity is not a part of life ignore reality.

Horrible things happen all the time. There is not a lot that can be done to stop these things from happening completely.

Sometimes, the best way to get out of a slump is just being honest. Life has a tendency to have unexpected surprises, both good and bad. We can choose our attitude when facing these challenges, but sometimes even this can be near impossible.

If you see someone struggling, it is always a good idea to help. After all, we are all struggling together to figure out life, we might as well support each other.

For those who may not be impacted by these feelings as the days get shorter and colder, have some sympathy for those who do.

Just because your challenges may be different than those of someone else, does not make someone else’s issues any less valid.

People are not negative just to annoy others. Likewise, if people cannot muster up a smile it does not mean they are being rude. They may be dealing with the mid-semester blues or something worse.

Whether or not this time of year is dreary, it is important to stand by all community members and show even when there are not many things to be upbeat about, we will be supportive of one another.

Acknowledging the struggles of others may not make the problems go away, but it does validate their struggle and helps people know they are not alone.

Chrissy Miller is an elementary education major. She can be reached 581- 2812 or clmiller9@eiu.edu