There are 13 school days left until the official end of the fall 1997 semester. And for many students, this may be proof positive that 13 is indeed a very unlucky number.

Because simply put, now is the time to get serious, study and catch up in our coursework.

Thoughts of performing scholastic miracles may run rampant in many students’ minds during these last few weeks of school. It does not matter if we are wide-eyed, first-semester freshmen, or grizzled veterans anxiously awaiting the Dec. 20 commencement ceremony all of us will be scrambling to pull out all the stops necessary to pass our classes with flying colors.

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Face it these last days represent our last chance to get our acts together before finals. This period symbolizes a crunch time more hectic than that found in any athletic game, a deadline more demanding than found in any newsroom and a last stand as crucial as Gen. Custer’s.

Of course, we want our academic endeavors to withstand a better fate than Custer’s band of soldiers. Still, many of us will spend too much energy complaining about the stress we will have to face instead of getting the job done.

We may form lines outside of our academic advisers’ offices, hoping we can find a shoulder to cry on in the world of academia. We may use the office hours that our professors provided for us at the beginning of the semester for the very first time in an overdue effort to seek help. We may even call Mom, Dad or a therapist to get us through the remaining weeks leading up to our final exams.

And, as we all know, exam anxiety during finals week is a different nightmare altogether.

But that upcoming stress may be eased substantially if we recognize the precious time before us as it truly is:a gift, not a seasonal curse. Use the remaining days of the school year wisely.

If students need to reacquaint themselves with instructors to evaluate their progress in courses, then students should save themselves some pipe dreams and start making some appointments.

If students are only now attempting to finish major projects i.e. research papers that have been put off for the last 13 weeks, students should make Morris Library and/or the nearest computer labs their second homes. Party time is over, and procrastinating further is academic suicide.

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If students have to balance time between work and studies, then organize a strict schedule and stick with it. If students have not talked to employers ahead of time, then alert them now about other responsibilities. The same advice applies to students with families organize time and communicate the stress of the upcoming weeks to others.

And even if students have been holding their heads above water this semester, then strive to earn the highest grades possible. This is not the time to slack off.

This is the time to adjust our priorities, take responsibility for our actions and get to work. We cannot just cross our fingers and expect to pass our classes that requires a lot of hard work and diligence during the next 13 school days.