As the end of the semester nears, I’m left wondering how it went by so quickly and why I feel unsatisfied in its wake.

This spring, I took on a larger credit load and more jobs and responsibilities than previous semesters, but frankly I was too busy to stop and think about the effects it had on my stress and mental health until far too late into the semester.

I felt a pressure when registering for classes to take on as much as I could fit in, but paired with work and homework and sleep — an activity I am usually too stubborn to give up on — my schedule left little room for me to check in with myself and make sure I was doing okay.

While discussing a mutual shock of the proximity of the semester’s culmination with my friends, they usually express a sense of relief and excitement. I find myself almost wishing I could start it all over, giving each of my classes and myself more individual attention.

Aside from the added stress, taking on more than I could handle also meant getting less out of everything, making me wonder if it was worth it at all to take on more than I felt comfortable with. Too often, I found myself feeling distant or behind in my classes — sometimes all of them at once.

Being busy is unavoidable, especially if, like me, you need to work to make ends meet — but there’s a fine line before you just overwork yourself. While registering for fall, make sure you know where your line is.