The End of a Semester: Looking Back and Looking Beyond!

Wow, this semester really flew by quickly! I can’t believe I’m already over a week into my winter break. It’s so nice to be back home in sunny San Diego. Even though school is only 2 and a half hours away, I feel a lifetime away from papers, finals, and stress. In short, it’s good to be back home (with my family, friends, beaches, and cable)! Looking back on this semester, I see a huge growth in myself. While I may not have put up the greatest academic performance of my career gradewise, I still feel very accomplished. I am starting to get really into my major, and feel like I am learning so much. After taking my first classes towards my minors, I have absolutely fallen in love with the art of screenwriting. I’ve learned that it is definitely something I want to pursue further. Aside from raw, factual knowledge, I feel like this semester has taught me how to succeed for the rest of college. I finally understand what works and doesn’t work for me, along the lines of time management, stress relief, and study methods. After taking on more involvements this semester, and experiencing my most difficult course load thus far, I feel extremely prepared moving forward. I know my two jobs, 18 units, and clubs are absolutely worth it, because I love what I am doing. Most of all, I’ve learned that without my friends, I would be toast:)

Additionally, this semester presented me with a plethora of fun, to complement and balance the presence of pure academia. I will never forget this football season! I got to experience my first weekender, which was an absolute blast. The season as a whole reinforced my pride in being a Trojan, and I absolutely can’t wait until next season when our bowl ban is lifted. I got to experiment in the kitchen, cooking up creations that were both delicious and disastrous with friends. I attempted to salsa dance. I stayed up late creating/playing a fusion game that combines aspects of the card game Spoons and capture the flag on the entire 7th floor of apartment complex Gateway. More recently, I enjoyed the generosity of the cinematic arts school in the form of an early screening of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, featuring executive producer Susan Downey (Robert Downey Jr.’s wifey), who did a great Q&A. And then there were all those quality nights in, watching movies and making great conversation with the amigos. I’d have to say it was good stuff overall.

Now, I am just enjoying myself at home, trying to repair the damage of finals. I’ve gotten back to a normal sleep schedule, that actually includes 8 hrs of sleeping. I am working out erryday, and actually eating some vegetables here and there. Overall I feel pretty good. I just got back from a short trip to Orange County to hang out with my best friend, and was reunited with many old friends. I lived in Mission Viejo before moving to San Diego, and I feel so lucky that I have stayed in touch with so many of my friends there. It’s always so much fun to visit everybody whenever possible. USC has been amazing for reunions of the same sort for me:) A lot of my friends from middle school are now fellow Trojans that I get to see almost everyday. Aside from reunions, this trip was filled with last minute shopping, yoga, frozen yogurt, and Parks and Recreation (I love Amy Poehler). I anticipate more of the same now that I’m home. I’m also going to try to teach myself C++. I don’t know any software languages, so I feel like that might be a good idea, and I’m all for self improvement.

I’m so relaxed and feel so reenergized. I wish the same for everyone else. I know when the time comes, I’ll be ready to go back and be better than ever before. Until then, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and keep fighting on in 2012!