The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

For most of America, Thanksgiving week signals the beginning of the holiday season: food, fun, family and friends which last well through New Years.  For students, however, the holiday fun is often delayed; the bounty of Thanksgiving brings with it term papers, exams, and research deadlines.

Now, this isn't a "woe-is-us" post.  Many jobs place increasing demands on their employees this time of year.  The stress for students, however, comes with the sprint to the end of the semester.

The increased focus on academic tasks can be especially challenging for students of Community Psychology and other related, applied fields.  We chose these fields because we wanted to help DO something to better our communities; however, it's hard to stay motivated when all you are "doing" is studying.

Students: 

• How do you keep from falling into the grad school "black hole"?
• What future applications/jobs keep you motivated when you're burning the midnight oil?

Post-Students (Those of you who have been here, and lived to tell the tale): 

• What advice do you have for current students struggling to find balance this time of year?

Please share your responses in the comments box below....  

... and just for fun. (click on the cartoon to enlarge image)

Image from PHDComics - Copyright Jorge Cham.