For most of us, Winter Break is a time of rejuvenation and relaxation. Back at school, the beginning of a semester is my favorite time because every single 'A' is still possible and that feeling of a fresh start is a great motivator to get things done. Even if you held a job this past month during break, you probably did not dread your 9-to-5 as much as the seemingly endless list of tests and papers that awaited you here. The end of a semester is a time to reflect and the beginning of one is the best time to establish new modes of operation.
Something akin to the college version of a New Year's resolution, this can mean anything like promising ourselves that we will manage our time better so that an all-nighter never has to happen or forcing ourselves to get out of bed at 6 a.m. several times each week to exercise. No matter what your hopes and dreams are for the semester, making them a reality will take some serious planning, followed by some serious discipline.
So we make to-do lists, schedules, buy new notebooks, organize our rooms and clean our apartments, all in the hope that having everything in order before school starts will make for a smooth transition back into the swing of things. But everyone knows that all the planning and preparation in the world cannot prevent life from getting in the way.
Upon my return to school, I felt rested and ready to tackle all that my professors are bound to throw my way. But what I did not count on was a broken heater, complete power outage, a broken cable box and a leaking sink in my apartment. My roommates and I spent several frustrating days waiting for numerous handymen to arrive and fix our laundry list of housing problems before we turned into walking icicles. School had not even begun and already we were asking one another, "What's next?"
What should have been several relaxing days leading up to the start of a hectic semester turned into a stressful situation. Even though my return to Charlottesville gave new meaning to the old adage "when it rains, it pours," coincidences like these remind me that sometimes you just have to go with the flow of things and take them as they come. I had forgotten to make that a priority on my list of semester goals.
Vanessa's column runs biweekly Fridays. She can be reached at v.stephenson@cavalierdaily.com.
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