That "New Semester Feeling"

We're two weeks in to Spring Semester here at Cal, and it seems like most of us Golden Bears are experiencing that “New Semester” feeling. Students sit up straight in class, they have a smile on their face, and warmly introduce themselves to fellow classmates. Responses to our professors are also in abundance and painted with a sweet confidence from hoping we remember more about the subject from the last semester (which ended more than a month ago). It really is a beautiful time of the semester. We're all well rested and refreshed from the holidays and ready to face new subjects, new professors, and the threat of upcoming exams once again. In another month or two when exams raise their ugly heads once again, things may be different, a little more anxious, pessimistic, or just plain tired! So I've put some thought into maintaining the bright-and-shiny New Semester feeling to at least the first round of mid-terms! Why? Because it's nice to always walk into your class eager to learn, feeling refreshed, and just plain happy to be at Cal! I do acknowledge that there are some super-students out there who never seem to lose their New Semester sparkle... but for the others...

1. Read and compare your syllabi thoroughly... I did this along with my calendar so I could see ahead of time when I'd have the most papers or midterms due during specific weeks. Professors love when you know the syllabus well!

2. Learn the good habits early! The first couple weeks can seem easy-breezy as we have no assignments or exams. This is the perfect time to get in the habit of spreading out your readings throughout the week so it doesn't add up to a grueling day of endless words and highlighting.

3. Make sleep a priority. This one may seem blasphemous to many! I can assure you, it IS possible to sleep 7-8 hours a night, take a full course load, and earn A's. This tip coordinates with the others... because if you want to keep sleep as a priority, you must take care of your scholarly duties in a timely manner as well.

However my semester, or the semesters of my fellow Golden Bears plays out, the beginning of a semester is a magical time. This is especially true for the beginning of Spring semester. The days are getting longer, and the weather balmier giving us all the life-begins-anew feeling. Berkeley has a notably spectacular campus, but the beauty is especially poignant in the beginning of a semester when everyone is smiling and has the time to sit around and appreciate the little things. If all my tips should fail, there's always simply walking through campus to appreciate all the wonderful art, student life, tall trees, and rascally squirrels to put that perk back in your academic step.

I would like reach out to all you wonderful readers and ask you what it is YOU like about the beginning of a semester! So go ahead, leave a comment, and share what you think!