Last week, while sitting in the Johnson Center, one of my friends made a comment about how they think fall semester has been so much harder than spring semester. Multiple people agreed with her and this got me thinking whether or not it was true.

After researching this further, I found that many students felt this way but also thought that the semesters were equal.

“Fall semester is more difficult because of the different course load offered between the two,” said Tania Ghods, an Information Systems & Ops Management major. “In a way fall is the beginning of the year and spring is the end, so professors may have the mind set to hit the ground running where as in the spring the semester could be viewed as the last stretch before summer vacation.”

Fall semester is usually viewed as the beginning of school year and all the students are recharged from the summer. I think that the students at Mason want to do their best in the beginning to have that fresh start. In addition to the students, the professors also want to start off the new school year strong, and I am sure their syllabi reflect that.

“Probably fall is more difficult,” said Cathy Moore, an art major. “There are so many more sorority events in the fall than spring because of recruitment and we also have new members coming through so I have to work more often to pay for everything. I also decided to take my upper level courses in the fall which are longer and take up more of my time.”

Taking the amount of time clubs and organizations require from its members into consideration, extracurricular activities can be considered as another class.

“I do not think there is a difference between the two,” said Chelsea Cooper, Tourism and Events Management major. “I think that it depends on the classes you choose to take, your major, and your year in school.”

This is also a good point that shows each student’s opinion is case sensitive. Every student figures out the appropriate workload for themselves as well as how many extracurricular activities they can fit into their schedule and dedicate their time to. The difficulty of school solely depends on how much you apply yourself. It is your choice on what classes or routes to take and when to take them.