After a week-long break, students trickle back onto campus, moving back into the dorms slowly beginning to focus on the weeks ahead. Two weeks and finals are all that separate us from more family time and another break from academic work.

However, in our rush to get to the end, it is still important to take a breath and focus on what we need to do to complete the semester successfully.

While there are only a few weeks to go, we should still remember that some of the greatest accomplishments we will make in this semester may still be ahead of us.

To continue to achieve great things, working hard is mandatory. Even if the outcome is not exactly what you want or plan for, putting forth an effort is better than doing nothing to move forward.

Effort does not always mean success, but it contributes to making success possible.

Whether it be doing laundry or becoming more actively involved in bringing positive change to campus, it will require work. Though it is possible to be optimistic about what can be achieved, we must also set realistic expectations to get the best results.

Different departments around campus will not be fully staffed overnight, nor will one test give a student an A in a class if they have been failing all semester.

Taking little steps toward the future is usually the most effective way to get there. Taking the rest of the semester day by day and doing as much as you can each day can allow for increased productivity.

It can also ensure that when a stumble or a mistake occurs, as they often do, it is not catastrophic. If you can only get one paper done in a day or one bill passed in a meeting instead of the two you wanted, you have still accomplished something.

Even though it may not be the most satisfying or exciting thing, this is the way people grow. It is also the way to better our campus.

So with your festive cup of hot cider, hot chocolate, coffee or tea in hand, sit down at your desk for a moment today. It might seem a little odd to ask right after Thanksgiving, but think of all the things you have to be thankful for.

Now, shift your focus to the spirit of the winter holidays, think of all you are excited for and remember what makes those things possible: hard work, support from loved ones and a positive attitude.

We all have what it takes to get through this semester one way or another, but our choices will play a big role in the experiences we have in these last few weeks. We can complain and drag our way into the holidays, making a miserable time for ourselves and those around us, or we can appreciate where we are at. We can make memories with our new friends and co-workers and tell those still at home the memories we have made when we return to them.

Make the right choice and do not waste these three weeks of your life. Take the opportunities offered here and make each day count because the present can be just as could as any holiday festivities awaiting us in the future.