College of Liberal Arts
University of Minnesota
Twin Cities Campus
101 Pleasant St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Sarah's Blog
Spring Break Here I Come!!!
College is hard. This is a fact—at least according to me. However, sometimes it seems much more difficult than normal. I am experiencing a perfect example of these times right now as I am in the heat of studying for midterms in four different courses as well as performing with the U of M Dance Program and working on my Honors CLA senior thesis. I shouldn’t be surprised though, exams are never easy. I didn’t need Newton to discover this one for me. I learned it on my own long ago. Nevertheless, a midterm based on the physics of Newton’s discoveries is completely new territory for me. It is new but nevertheless interesting territory.
The class is set up very well. We attend a 50min lecture 3 times a week where we are encouraged to sit with the same twelve students who are in our lab and discussion sections. It is with these students that we conduct the lab experiments and solve the discussion problems. In lab/discussion section we are divided into groups of 3 to solve the weekly problems. This small group atmosphere leads to the automatic formation of study groups which I find very beneficial. However, despite the support we feel in lecture, lab and discussion sections from our peers, LA’s (Learning Assistants), TA’s (teaching assistants) and professor, the course is still challenging and it demands a lot of my time and energy.
It is especially tough to prepare for exams when the physics midterm bumps up next to organic chemistry, intro to mass communications and medical terminology midterms. I am quickly realizing how critical time management skills are for success. I am also realizing how thankful I am for spring break to start next week. A chance to step back, unwind, catch up and recharge seems like a magnificent miracle right now. However, spring break is not yet upon me, so off I go to spend more time with my good friend Sir Isaac Newton!
