If You're Happy and You Know it... Why?

This is the time of year where the temperatures start dropping and hearts start warming up. There’s a magic in the air, whether it’s from holidays impending or just knowing that we the students (and professors!) are so close to the end of the semester and Winter Break! However, is it actually from knowing that we’re so close to a fresh start (Here’s looking at you, spring semester 2014!)? What makes us happy? 

Look at these happily levitating students! (ok, ok, they're jumping..)

Preparing to dive in head first

It took me a while to realize, but this coming week will be the last 'calm' week that will be available to me for quite some time. You know how you'll be sitting still for a bit and you just know things are about to speed up for you? That's how I'm feeling right now. I know it'll sneak up on me a bit, but I'm still anticipating it. I think it's going to be like this for just about everyone, seeing as we're approaching the 12th full class day, the census date, this Thursday. After that, we're all in it for the long haul. Many of us will be awarded our first class papers, projects, and group work of the semester. While we're scrambling for repeat instructions, Facebook friend requests, cell phone numbers, and possible extensions (yeah, already), we'll know that now begins the time skip to the end of the year. In a week we'll be wishing it were May. In a month we'll have gotten the hang of things again. After that, we'll be wondering where the time went. When you think about it, it's a pretty exciting time. I, for one, am going to try to enjoy the calm before the storm.