It’s the start of November and we’re already halfway through the semester. But contrary to popular belief, it’s never too late to make a change. Yes, we’re tired, lazy and maybe our midterm scores were a bit underwhelming, but we’re UC Berkeley students. We didn’t get here without working hard. Being at the No. 1 public university in the world, we’re bound to stumble once in a while. So for all these changes we want to see in ourselves, it’s important to just remember: Start somewhere.
We often forget to take time for ourselves. In light of Mental Health Awareness Week coming up, try to find a happy place away from the commotion. Give in to your wanderlust and explore the Bay Area, and don’t worry about the guilt you might feel from not doing something productive. Some of our recommendations of places to explore are the Lawrence Hall of Science, the UC Botanical Garden and the Berkeley Marina. If you need a bit more of an escape and are feeling adventurous, head out to San Francisco to Land’s End or Pismo Beach.
November is also National Novel Writing Month. If you’ve ever wanted to start a blog, journal or novel, there’s no better time to do it than now. Write about your feelings, your troubles, your fears and your happiness. Why? There are going to be problems in life that only you can help yourself overcome, and writing can help that process. All the words you want to hear are in your head, and by writing them down, you’ll realize you already have all the answers. Writing also serves as a creative outlet. Expressing your imagination can be a gift to this world, and even if it only amuses or inspires one person, at least you did it.
Many of us want to be fit, but find that taking the time to exercise at the gym is difficult. So we come up with a million excuses. All your workout clothes smell or you don’t own any from Lululemon. You forgot your earphones back home. Sleep is more precious. Walking up the hills on campus has already shaped your calves nicely. Waking up in the morning is just too difficult, especially when you already have a 10 a.m. What if you fart in sunrise yoga? We at the Clog have made up hundreds of excuses ourselves, but it’s time to get rid of the excuses. Find a friend who will motivate you to go to the gym or bring your homework to the gym. We’ve seen plenty of students running on the treadmill reading a textbook. Not only do you seem athletic, but you show that you care about your studies, too.
We all worry about our GPA and want to raise it. Coming to UC Berkeley, a lot of us are hit with the reality that we’re no longer the brightest. No matter how much we study, sometimes we’re not even average, and yet we still have big dreams. We always want to get better grades, but it’s extremely difficult. Don’t be afraid of failure; even though there’s not one path to success, giving up is definitely not one of the steps in it. As Chris Pine, one of our notable alumni, once stated, “Mediocrity scares me. It’s the fear of not being as good as you want to be. If you give over to that fear, it will sabotage you. As much as I can, I try to use that fear to guide me.” So from one Bear to another, let’s have courage, let’s persevere. Let’s aim to be who we want to be and not be afraid of the obstacles in our way.
