Fall Term Conclusions

Caitlin H.

December 13, 2009 - 3:57 PM

Ends. And beginnings. Life is full of them.

Fall term has reached its conclusion and I'm left feeling rather relieved. I enjoyed fall term immensely, but by the end of it I was starting to feel stretched rather thin. I spent some quality time bonding with Lib (the Knight Library) and SSIL (the Social Science Instructional Lab) this week. We are mutually ready for a break from each other. I'm excited to be heading home, taking a trip with some friends, and taking the time to relax. I plan to take the GRE a second time, and I plan on trying to get a head start on next term's reading, but by and large, I'm looking forward to a few carefree weeks to spend with friends and family.

5 HIGHLIGHTS FROM FALL TERM

1. Pushing myself to branch out academically, and personally. I haven't really been a student who has struggled to diversify my education or my experiences, but this term I made a point of taking classes that weren't subjects I was naturally inclined to take. I didn't just try activities that were different and fun, I tried some things that were different and sounded difficult. I'm proud to have survived through that experience, and grown along the way. It makes me feel empowered to tackle other difficult tasks in the future.

2. Activities and events around campus. To put it bluntly, campus is hoppin'. From gospel choir concerts, to swing dancing, to athletic events, to guest lectures and more there has certainly never been a dull moment these past 11 weeks. I'm already trying to pencil things into my planner for next term! The burdens of time management can be an annoying hassle, but the overload of things to see and do are one of the reasons I love being at the UO.

3. The beginnings of my marathon training. I've completed some races! It has felt good to be out there running along the river and even competing against others. I need to kick my training into a new gear next term, but I have made friends who are going to run with me. One of them even ran the Portland marathon this year. I'm inspired and I realize this is still a rather large goal, but I feel like I'm going to make it.

4. Applying to grad schools. What a nightmare the process has been at times. Even now at this very second I feel the looming stress of graduate school applications and tests. My GRE scores weren't as high as I wanted to be the first time, and now I'm not even sure my scores ended up at the right departments within the prospective schools. Somehow the headache of it all makes me want to overcome all these obstacles and get into grad school even more. And the real blessing has been the process has forced me to consider my future goals and give shape to what inspires me and what I'd like to do for a career.

5. New jobs. I've loved to work and I have enjoyed that it has allowed me to meet new people in addition to focus on some professional skills. Through the course of the term I was able to help coordinate a campus-wide event and have met students from all around the world. Employment has been a great asset to the types of experiences I have had while in college.