Happy Hump Day fellow Gators!
We are halfway through our first week back to school, which means that there is no denying it anymore: The Fall semester has officially begun. This week marks a new beginning for many of us. Freshmen are learning how to navigate Turlington Plaza, seniors are swallowing disbelief that it’s their last first semester in college. Personally, I’m just trying to figure out where I can fit a nap into my busy schedule. One must never underestimate the importance of a midday shut-eye. Getting out of bed may have been a struggle this morning, but at least I didn’t wake up thinking we were still on vacation.
Despite nostalgia for lazy summer days, there’s something comforting about realizing that it’s go time. In just a few short weeks, we will all be settled into our daily college lives again, hopefully without too much hassle or heartbreak.
For all of my fellow third-years out there, this is it! This is the year where we have to make it or break it. Junior year is full of action verbs. Careers are pursued, MCATs and LSATs are taken, all sorts of big decisions are made. It’s time to hit the ground running.
The new school year also means new resolutions, pledges to do things differently than last year, so we can all feel better about ourselves as students. Will they last? Probably not. I do this every semester, but after much denial I’ve come to know myself well enough to realize most of these declarations will not ring true a month from now. No, I will not overload my schedule this year, convinced I can manipulate the laws of time and space to my advantage (an unlikely scenario). Yes, I will go to bed at a decent time this semester, or at least get a full eight hours of sleep on the regular (even more unlikely). Lastly, no, I will not have more than one cup of coffee per day (perhaps the most unlikely of all, not to mention it’s a drain on my wallet).
The thing is, I don’t even care that most of these promises will be broken within the first two weeks of school. In the end, it’s not the actual resolutions that help me adjust to school, but rather it’s the extra kick of confidence they give at the beginning of the year, the comforting familiarity of having goals which propels us forward into college feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. My advice to you halfway through our first week? Make some goals! If they don’t last, don’t sweat it. Stock up on self-confidence now, because when midterms come we’ll all need our reserves of extra positivity.
I’m super excited to be coming back this semester as a columnist, and I can’t wait for what the future will bring in this corner of the Alligator. I write about women’s and LGBTQ rights issues, campus happenings and anything else that catches my fancy during the week. If you’ve got something you think I should talk about, feel free to email me through the Alligator opinions section. Let’s get through this week, and see what the rest of Fall 2015 will bring. I’ve got a full schedule, a large iced coffee and a sense of boundless optimism. What could go wrong?
Sally Greider is a UF English and public relations junior. Her column appears on Wednesdays.
