March 19, 2024
Welcome back from what I hope was a restful break. The cherry blossoms are blooming and spring is coming to campus. The next couple of months are great reasons to be in DC. It also means the last seven week spring of the school year. That brings papers, exams, job interviews, and stress.
Two suggestions for enjoying the next two months (or at least getting through them more or less intact).
First, set a schedule. I said this before break, but it bears repeating. Put all of your papers and exams on your calendar. Then block the time you need to study and write ahead of those deadlines. If you foresee conflicts or deadlines you may not be able to hit, let your professors know now. They will notice if you miss a deadline or do a sub-par job, better to have the conversation now than later.
Second, with your academic, internship and job schedule set, add downtime. If you don’t put the time on your calendar, that time may slip away. Add things like a trip to Art-O-Matic, Audi Field and of course a walk to the Tidal Basin for the cherry blossoms. These breaks - walks, exercise, seeing new places and hearing news ideas, time with friends - are good for your mental health. It’s easy to get caught up in the DCness and SMPAness of it all. The breaks are reminders that while what we do here is important, there is more to life than politics and GW.
Onward into spring.