This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Miami (OH) chapter.
The band new J-Term has brought lots of excitement to the Miami University campus this year. Rather than a standard month off from school, students now have a six-week break. During this time, students can work more, study abroad, catch up on sleep, and be around family for two additional weeks. However, for other students, this shortened semester can be seen as an opportunity to take up to six additional credit hours.
As for me? I will be spending the early weeks of the New Year walking down Slant and trying to avoid the snow-covered Seal at all costs, because who wants to fail their first exams of the year? While it will be tempting to grab a sled and head to the nearest hill to soak up the last few weeks of freedom, I will be trudging along to class. While it will be a little difficult to stay motivated during the off-season, I will keep reminding myself of the advantage that it’s one less class I’ll have to take later. Brave the cold and the short break now, and have more free time with only 15 credit hours to worry about for spring semester? Sign me up!
Although I will be spending the better part of my days in a classroom five times a week, there are other benefits I look forward to, besides knocking out a class requirement. For one thing, rain or shine, I’ll be back in Oxford, my second home. I only get four years of walking down Spring Street to class before I’m just some alum making silent deals to donate a kidney in exchange for four more years here. There will also be one-tenth of a wait for everything. Going to the gym won’t mean waiting a half hour for a cardio machine, Bagel & Deli can be a peaceful experience at two in the morning, and finding a cubicle in King will actually be a reality, even at 8pm.
And maybe it’s just me, but the “Yay I’m home for the holidays” excitement will not last six weeks for me, let alone the four weeks we usually have for Winter Break. Christmas is awesome and it’s fun to celebrate the New Year with high school friends and family, but once the holidays are over, I am more than ready to load up the car and head back to Oxford. You can only answer the relative and family friend favorite, “How’s school going?” question so many times, and you were probably sick of hearing about all the drama of the kids who went to your high school after the first night back anyway.
For all of you lucky ones taking full advantage of the six weeks off to sleep in and enjoy the holiday leftovers, and for any of you busy bees getting ahead with your classwork (or playing catch-up for any major changers), be sure to take some personal “you” time to relax despire the business of this coming January.