I don’t know where this year has gone. I know that in the blink of an eye, I will be heading home for summer vacations and will be looking forward to the next year of school. If the pace of this last week is any indication, this quarter is going to go by incredibly fast, as I’m finding out they all seem to do. I’m excited to experience what spring in Chicago has to offer, and am hoping that the weather continues to get warmer as the days pass. I’m enjoying the flowers blooming and the prospies taking their first walks on the quad.
These last 2 weeks have been part of the acclimation period that comes along with every new quarter. I switched my schedule from a majority of morning classes (autumn and winter quarter) to mostly afternoon classes this quarter. It is a major shift. No longer am I waking up at 7 AM and going strong all day. Although I’m enjoying the extra sleep I’m getting, I am finding it more difficult to figure out what to do with my mornings. This is something I’m still working on, since the last 2 weeks have taught me that staking out at my house table in Pierce is not the right place to be productive in the morning. In all though, I am adjusting well to the new schedule, and am enjoying most of my classes. I’ve dedicated this quarter to finishing up my Biological Sciences requirement by taking the class, Human Use and Abuse of Biological Molecules, and have also started working on my Physical Sciences requirement by taking Natural History of the Earth. Large lecture classes are still new to me, and I am still getting used to the idea of only having midterms and finals making up the large part of my grade. In all, this is shaping up to be a rewarding and productive quarter academically.
As far as my time outside of class goes, I have spent a lot of it trying to stay in touch with the friends I’ve made in the last 2 quarters from various classes and RSOs. To those of you who live on campus, my concerted effort may seem silly, but it really does take a fair amount of planning when a twenty minute shuttle ride separates you from all of your friends on campus. I don’t mind the planning I have to do, and always find the time I spend with friends to outweigh the shuttle rides to and from campus. Additionally, I’ve made a fair amount of time to go downtown. The other day I went into the city for a birthday dinner for one of my friends at (insert shameless plug) Russian Tea Time. It was amazing food, and a great atmosphere. I also found myself dancing in my seat between courses to the Russian music (ranging from traditional to pop) that was playing. It’s a little expensive, so I would suggest having your parents take you when they come in for a visit.
I have a good feeling about this quarter. Although it could be the fact that the warmer weather makes me feel at home and at ease, I think I should attribute it more to feeling more independent and finally figuring out how to manage my time well and be generally without stress (but what am I even saying, it’s only 2nd week!). I’m going to try to live in the moment as much as I can this quarter, whether I’m out with my friends, or studying in the Reg. I believe that only by living in the moment can I truly appreciate and take advantage of everything I have around me.