The day is upon us. For some, it is just a day, regarded as no more remarkable than those that came before, nor those that will follow. But for others, it means so much more. For a lucky few, it is a landmark achievement – a symbol of hope and a promise that even greater things are to come. However, for many it serves only as a dreary, unfortunate reminder of the tedium and dissatisfaction that characterises their every waking moment. Greeted with either excited expectation or reluctant dread, that fateful day has finally arrived – the beginning of Week Five.

By this point in term, Cambridge life can feel like a monotonous weekly cycle of supervision deadlines, Wednesday Cindies, and Sunday Lifes, punctuated only by the occasional formal, or, to be even bolder, a Thursday Lola’s. Even the mid-term crisis, once the emotional pinnacle of our eight weeks here, has become predictable. As Week Five blues clock in for their quarter-annual shift, we await its arrival with anticipation, begrudge its passing with exasperated shrugs, and wave it a relieved goodbye the following Thursday, rather like the aunty that no-one looks forward to seeing at Christmas. We note the comings and goings of city-wide despair as though it is a travelling circus simply passing through, full to the brim with thousands of grotesque clowns crying and unravelling in various locales.

“Cambridge life can feel like a monotonous weekly cycle of supervision deadlines, Wednesday Cindies, and Sunday Lifes”

Like a failing marriage that has long since lost its spark, by Week Five, the relationship between Cambridge and its students has become one in which both parties recognise their love for one another, yet both are kind of just waiting to be rid of the other. When misery and tedium have become commonplace, something has to change, otherwise bitterness only grows and the fond feelings you once enjoyed recede further into memory. So, whether in a happy couple, or comfortably single, here’s some ideas on how to fall back in love with Cambridge this Valentine’s day.

Be a tourist: in the midst of work and personal tragedy, taking the time to actually look at your surroundings en route to morning lectures can be surprisingly difficult. However, perhaps on a day when your spirits are remarkably high, try to notice something new about our little city. Maybe you’ll realise the special way that the sun hits the spires of your college in the afternoon light, or you’ll appreciate the number of stars overhead as you stumble across orgasm bridge on your return from a tipsy solo dinner date, or maybe you’ll even notice that your supervisor looks particularly dashing in that new coat you’ve seen them rocking. Whatever it is, take a walk, take photos – or better yet, don’t take any photos at all.

Another option is to simply leave: Whether it is to home, to London, or somewhere nearby like Norfolk or Ely, escaping Cambridge for the day serves not only as a reminder of everything you loved about the place during that first week of Michaelmas on your return, but also that there is actually a world outside of our city. A world in which the language of DoS’s and pidges is as foreign as the culture of overworking and unhappiness (although this actually may be less effective if London is your destination of choice). Nevertheless, the so-called ‘Week Five Blues’ are often just a nasty case of Cambridge Cabin Fever. Whilst we’re making strides to remedy this unfortunately frequent misdiagnosis, the cure for the latter is much simpler than the former.

So, whether you’re single or coupled up, make the effort to fall back in love with Cambridge this Valentine’s Day. Look at her, admire her, and see that, whilst she’s not perfect and she’s not always kind to you, she probably just wants to better you. Sometimes, the best way to appreciate how much you love something is to see how much you miss it when it’s gone. We only have a short time here, and it is always a tragedy to realise that a love lost was, in fact, a love never expressed. A short time unless you’re a medic, that is. In which case my pity goes far beyond this situation.