Love It/Hate It: Returning from Winter Break

Love It: New Year, Completely Different Me — Stephany Gutierrez

After a much-needed break full of a whole lot of nothingness, there is nothing better than returning to campus full of new year’s resolutions and motivation to do everything you told yourself you would do last semester. The list of improvements that you swear will happen this semester is extensive — actually doing the assigned readings, attending section, exercising more than just walking to and from lectures. While this newfound motivation will soon be replaced with exhaustion, my planner (which is currently ~thriving~) and I are loving being on top of things. Of course, food from back home will be missed, but there is no denying that I missed Tatte and the late-night runs to Noch's. Getting back to campus also meant the unmatched excitement of meeting up with friends and catching up on winter flings and all the shows that we binged.

Returning in January also meant a change in weather for many of us, especially for snow first-timers like myself. Even though we had to layer up, the snowball fights and sled rides down Widener steps have been the perfect start. Fantasizing that you're in a winter wonderland while walking to class is also the best way to destress. Sure, the snow soon turns brown and ugly, but walking past piles of dirty snow is a humbling moment we all need. The start of this semester has been great, and here's to hoping that this will ring true for the rest of it.

Hate It: TAKE ME BACK HOMEEEEEEE — Raymond Wu

I’m going to be honest — fall semester kind of absolutely wrecked me. It drained me of almost all my motivation (and a significant portion of my bank account), and there was no better feeling than finally getting on that plane to go back home. When I got home, I was finally able to do all the things that I was too busy to do during the semester: watch a bunch of movies and TV shows that I’ve been meaning to watch for months; hang out with friends and family; and, of course, catch up on sleep.

In the middle of celebrating the new year with my family, I realized that Jan. 1 meant that, in just three weeks, I would be returning to campus. Don’t get me wrong — I was excited to see my friends and explore places around campus that I couldn’t explore during the fall, but a new semester meant I also had to think about my classes and *shudder* summer internships. Even typing the phrase gives me goosebumps — by the way, lemme know if you come across some good ones ;). The new semester also meant that I had to return to Cambridge in January, and since there was barely any snow throughout December, I knew that meant we were probably going to have a freezing and excessively snowy January (and, well, we did). Though I wish I was still languishing back home (with *not-wet* socks), the reality is that I have multiple psets I’m procrastinating on, so I must grit my teeth and trudge along. Harvard gods, please be kind to me!