Relax, have fun, have a sense of humor! The break's coming!
A UCLA Undergrad's Perspective

By Chi Tran

Four classes, sixteen units, eleven weeks and a part time job. This kind of schedule is what could drive most UCLA students over the edge.Indeed, college life is intense and mentally demanding. Students are put into situations where they get less than 6 hours of sleep each night, are constantly studying, doing homework, stressing about grades and trying to plan a career based on the major. On top of all this, there are always office hours to go to, meetings to attend and a social life to build. How do we do it? Trust me, a strong will, motivation and lots of caffeine are not enough. UCLA students are not super humans. Like everyone else, we need rest, a regular, healthy diet and just time to refresh ourselves. That's why breaks in between quarters at UCLA are really important for us. Without any breaks to look forward to, I could be doing worse because my brain would be on overload. The quarterly break is like a beacon of light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

The break is a wonderful and refreshing thing – mentally, spritually and physically. It gives students a place to breathe and get away from having to constantly memorize facts, numbers, specific information - all of the data we're expected to process nowadays. The break is a healthy opportunity to see and reunite with friends and family again...just hang out and laugh...carefree. In my particular life, my friends and family are very important. I see my family about 4 days a month but I'd like to visit them more. Four days is considered a lot compared to many of my friends' situations. When I'm home on the break, I get to sleep in, go shopping, snowboard, hang out at the beach and eat tasty home cooked meals whenever I want. I love my breaks between quarters!

With all of the presssures that a 10 week system can bring, I look forward to that moment right after I turn in my very last final. Yaaaaay! Sometimes I wish things could be easier and I daydream that I'm Wonder Woman. Then I think about how lucky I am to be a UCLA student in a university that's internationally famous. I think about how competitive the job market is today and how getting through this college will help give me the edge. I study hard...work hard...and then I dream about the break...I'm inspired by the break...It's the light at the end of the tunnel...then I laugh and tell myself, "Relax, have fun, have a sense of humor! The break's coming!"

Published on 1.30.03 by the UCLA Career Center