Day 100: Semester Break Begins

Freedom. Sweet, blissful freedom.

After ninety-nine relentless days of assignments, quizzes, group projects, and a near-meltdown during midterms, the semester break had finally arrived. I woke up this morning to the unfamiliar sensation of not having to rush anywhere. No classes. No deadlines. Just an entire week of doing absolutely nothing—well, that was the plan, at least.

I treated myself to a rare indulgence: sleeping in until noon. When I finally rolled out of bed, Faisal was already blowing up the group chat.

Faisal: “What’s the plan, guys? Road trip? Movie marathon? Spa day? I’m open to suggestions.”

Amanda: “Or, hear me out, we use this time to catch up on things we didn’t do this semester. Like sleep.”

Yusof: “I have no plans except avoiding Faisal.”

Me: “Let’s all take today to chill first, then regroup tomorrow.”

The consensus was clear: today was all about decompression.

I started my break the only way I knew how—by heading to the neighborhood mamak stall for a proper meal. The uncle greeted me with his usual cheerful, “Teh tarik biasa?” I nodded. Sitting there with my hot, frothy drink and a plate of nasi lemak felt like the beginning of a new chapter.

After lunch, I decided to go for a walk around campus. It was eerily quiet now that most students had left. The library, which had been a war zone during finals, was almost deserted. The lawns were empty, save for a few stray cats lounging in the sun. Even the campus cafe, usually bustling with activity, had just one or two tables occupied.

As I strolled, I reflected on the semester. It had been a whirlwind of highs and lows. I’d survived microeconomics, navigated group project drama, and embarrassed myself more times than I cared to count. But I’d also made memories—like that time we laughed so hard at Faisal’s karaoke performance, or Amanda rescuing our botched exhibition project.

I ended up at the amphitheater, one of my favorite spots on campus. Sitting on the stone steps, I pulled out my journal and started jotting down thoughts. It felt like the right way to mark the occasion, to close the chapter on this semester before diving into whatever came next.

As the sun began to set, I got a text from Amanda.

Amanda: “Okay, break or not, we need to celebrate surviving the semester. Dinner at 8? My treat.”

I smiled. Leave it to Amanda to organize a “celebration” within hours of the break starting.

Faisal was, of course, the first to respond.

Faisal: “Count me in. Also, don’t forget the karaoke place next door. The mic’s calling my name.”

Yusof: “God help us.”

By 8 p.m., we were back at our usual hangout spot, the laughter and teasing flowing as freely as the drinks. Amanda even surprised us with a small cake that read, “Here’s to Surviving Semester 3!”

“Let’s take a moment to appreciate the fact that none of us dropped out,” Faisal said dramatically, raising his glass.

“To resilience,” Amanda added.

“To naps,” Yusof mumbled, earning a round of laughter.

“To whatever comes next,” I said, smiling.

Lesson of the day: The end of one chapter is just the beginning of another. Whether it’s surviving semester madness or enjoying a well-deserved break, it’s the little moments that make it all worthwhile.