DU is a wonderful place to spend your undergraduate career. But sometimes, I feel like the pressure of studying here can be both overwhelming and unfair at times.

The main reasons for this are the quarter system, looking for internships and looking for jobs after graduation.
First off, the quarter system can be academically crushing. Covering fifteen weeks of material in only ten weeks causes a trememdous rush and creates stress on each student.

The classes move at a lightning fast pace and papers and tests seem to be every other week. This is clearly not the most learning-friendly method of instruction.

Yet, if we want to achieve our goals, we are still expected to thrive by earning great grades in our classes.

When that is compared against the traditional semester schedule, where 15 weeks worth of class material is covered in fifteen weeks, then that is unfair.

In addition to the quarter system, there is pressure on students to find internships. Nowadays, it is crucial that undergraduate students find meaningful internships to add to their resumes. As more students are looking and joining these positions, there are less available to others.

Internships are a great way to test the waters of different career paths. Furthermore, if you have a career choice in mind, then internships are a great way to gain experience.

But as it becomes increasingly competitive to find these internships, the pressure on students will rise as well.

Finally, finding a job after graduating can be very daunting. You spend four years working hard, trying to get good grades, attempting to land a few internships and it could all be for naught if you can’t secure a job after college.

I think this probably affects juniors and seniors the most, but it is something I think about even as a freshman.

Trying to get good grades in an expedited system, finding internships that everyone else is looking for, and hoping to land a job after graduation all combine to create a lot of pressure on students.

The only remedy for this pressure is to work through it. The odds are against us, but that shouldn’t stop us. If we just push forward, new doors will undoubtedly open.

Despite all the pressure and the conditions we find ourselves in, we persevere.

We can’t let all this pressure weigh us down.