As the semester winds down for AIC, lots of students are left with a dilemma — to have fun with their friends, or to grind out the work they need to pass their classes.

While this may be an obvious answer for some, lots of students get caught up in their social lives, so it’s important to make sure you keep that study train moving, because it can be hard to move once it slows.

When you face a month off of school, it can be exciting. Seeing all of that freedom at the end of the tunnel.

But what do you do when that tunnel is long, and darkness seems like it might swallow you? Everyone is different, and people have motivators that range to a number of things.

Lots of people, especially ones that live far from home, tend to get very homesick and miss their parents or their siblings. Some miss their friends, and some miss that comfort that just isn’t the same when living in a dorm.

AIC rugby’s Jihad Khabir is one of many who feels this disconnect while at school.

“Family is very important to me,” said Khabir “especially being away from home so often. Anytime I get a chance to see them I value the time very much!”

For Khabir, his family seems to be the light at the end of his tunnel. When things get hard or it looks like the work will never end, family sounds like his source of power for sure.

For others, they might have a different outlook. Some people might miss home, but it isn’t enough to keep them focused, especially when they are in their senior year.

For those who may not know, lots of college seniors suffer from a something that is hard to overcome: Senioritis. We’ve all had it at one point or another, that excitement to leave school is high and motivation is low. Overcoming it might be hard for some, but for others quite simple.

Senior Cristian Ortega had a very basic, yet effective way to ensure all of his work is done in time for break. “I just check my grades,” Ortega said.

Some might see it as a more humorous remark, but the method holds true. Seeing your grades in a class can have a huge influence on the way you conduct your school work.

On one hand, if your grades are bad, you have to raise them quick, your education, money, or sports eligibility can be on the line! On the other hand, if your grades are high, finishing your work strong can help you bring home that A and make your family proud.

While everyone at some point or another needs motivation, some people find that in themselves. For some, they don’t need grades or friends and family to get them through things, they just have that drive to move onto the next chapter in their life.

Senior Nic Frankyn is someone with this kind of drive. When asked what keeps him going, Franklyn said, “Knowing that I’m close end of college, and preparing myself for the future.”

All college students make an investment in themselves when they come to college, and whether you motivate yourself, or have an outside influence, finishing is the key.

To finish strong is a skill that everyone in life should have, and driving yourself to the end might seem impossible, but that light will always be there.

College may feel dark, but sometimes darkness makes the light just a little brighter.