So I have good news, and I have bad news. The good news is, we have officially made it half way through the fall semester.
For many of the freshmen, this is a big milestone in your first year. You have made it half way through a college semester.
But for the seniors, including me, it is one big step toward graduation. I have to admit that I have commencement weekend highlighted, circled and starred on my calendar.
Unfortunately, with this benchmark in the school year comes the dreaded midterm examinations, which is the bad news.
I was lucky enough to survive a week that included a take home midterm and an in-class examination.
Not only did I have exams, papers and projects to worry about, but this was the first week in a while that I felt like I was going non-stop.
I felt like every single free minute I had was filled in with side projects and extracurricular activities.
Even as I write this I feel like I have a million other tasks to accomplish before the day ends. I have not felt so overwhelmed like this in a while.
Last semester, I wrote a column about how 24 hours in a day is just not enough time to get everything done. This week exemplified that statement.
When I registered, I knew that my schedule would be challenging, and I was eager to take it on. I still know and believe that I can get through it; it can be done.
The worst part about it all is that I know I am not the only one.
Almost everyone I have talked to has vented and said at some point that their schedule is driving them crazy. With extracurricular activities including work, athletics and personal life, it has become hard for many people to just be a student.
It is amazing how much people take on while taking a full load of classes; some even with an overload of units. Greek life, sports, clubs and other organizations on top of class and personal life, it has become a juggling act for so many people.
Being at a university like La Verne opens up the doors for many opportunities to get involved. At the same time, it is crazy to think of how much people take on.
On top of the activities at school and work, many of us are faced with finding an internship. I know that I am currently going through that process like many of my friends, a task that has been exciting but stressful.
I guess this is just what you call college life. This is probably the only time that we can experience all of this.
After graduation, it is time for the real world. I am very thankful for every opportunity that has come my way, but at the same time my aunt gave me great advice: only take on what you can handle; don’t overload yourself.
After she said that to me, it made me realize how easy it is to take on too much and how important it is to stay on top of everything and stay organized.
This semester has been a little more challenging for me because it hasn’t been as easy to get in the rhythm of my schedule. I am still trying to ease my way into it, half way through the semester.
Like I said before, it can be done; I just have to keep up. The transition from summer happened so fast; so fast, it feels like there wasn’t even a transition, fall just fell onto my plate.
I have had a great learning experience so far with juggling such a busy schedule. I am looking forward to what the rest of the semester and the year will bring. At this point, all we can all do it just hang in there and do our best.
Marilee Lorusso, a senior journalism major, is editor in chief of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at mlorusso@ulv.edu.
