Something I had a really hard time with during my freshman year of college was making time for myself. Between attending lectures, working on assignments, making friends, and figuring out how to function living 300 miles away from my mom, whenever I did end up with free time I could be found lying in my bed watching Netflix or TikTok.
While my affinity for consuming media certainly expands when I’m home, I try to devote time spent there to more enriching activities as well. Whether it be reading, going on a walk, or trying to teach myself how to knit, I have found that actively participating in activities I enjoy on a regular basis helps me stay sane.
Needless to say, because I was not making time for the kind of activities that kept me centered, I was a bit of a mess. Thus, when I returned to UCSB this year, I decided I had to make more time for activities that would allow me to take my mind off the chaos of college life and do something good for myself.
One of my solutions? Sign up for classes at the Rec Cen through Gaucho R.E.C.! Because the classes took place weekly at the same time, it was like I was carving out dedicated time each week to focus on myself. From dance to self-defense to pottery to cycling, the possibilities of what to try out appear endless.
The first class I signed up for was the Sunset Flow class. While I had originally wanted to sign up for a different yoga class, it did not work with my schedule. This actually turned out to be such a blessing, because both the friend I signed up with and I absolutely loved the instructor of this session. So much so, in fact, that I signed up to do yoga with her again this quarter!
The several different classes that Gaucho R.E.C. offers within an activity is nice because, like I did with yoga, you can search around for one that will fit your schedule best! Though I will say, not every activity has multiple class times. If this is the case for something you’re interested in trying, you can always check again the next quarter.
The other class I signed up for was Mat Pilates. I will say, if it hadn’t been for my friend who took this class last year and loved it so much, I probably wouldn’t have signed up. However, because she liked it a lot, she convinced me to join her last quarter, and I really did enjoy it! Similar to yoga, I am doing this class again this quarter, and I even signed up to do it twice a week.
As I mentioned earlier, I signed up with friends for these classes. While this may seem counterintuitive to taking time for myself, it was actually quite the opposite. Because I had people I knew by my side, walking into a room full of people and trying a new hobby was much less daunting. Also, I had someone to keep me accountable—I am much more likely to bail on myself than a friend.
One important thing to note is that the payments for these classes are not charged to your BARC account. Rather, you pay at the time of signing up, which means that you are paying out of your own pocket. The costs vary depending on what type of class you’re signing up for, and they can all be found on the Gaucho R.E.C. website. If you are unsure about whether you want to commit to paying for a full quarter, especially if you are trying out something new, they do have the possibility of doing a walk-in class for $5, although this option is only available for the first week of classes, so be aware.
Ultimately, I think that signing up for classes through Gaucho R.E.C. has been really good for me, not just physically, but also mentally. It has allowed me to make sure I am spending time on myself each week, which is something I am in desperate need of (and I’m sure many others are too).
Even if you end up signing up for a class you don’t love, the sessions are only eight weeks long, so you’ll be done with it in no time. And who knows, maybe you will end up discovering a new favorite hobby that you will continue to engage in for the rest of your life.