Spring quarter has finally sprung. Following winter which is a particularly tough quarter for most students, spring is typically seen as a time of fresh starts for students. As the sun comes out and the jacaranda trees in Aldrich Park begin to bloom, UCI students shared their goals for spring quarter with the New University.
First-year pharmaceutical sciences student Akara Harley Ath believes this quarter will be an easier adjustment because she can apply what she learned from winter to spring quarter.
“My goals for this spring are better time management and to finish my work earlier so I can actually have a good balance between good grades and a good social life,” Ath said. “I feel like it was harder for me to adapt to the change in workload during winter, but this quarter will certainly be different.”
Third-year computer science student Davit Toroyan similarly expressed having higher hopes for spring quarter.
“I want to start creating and following a more organized schedule that allows me to pass my classes, get a job and hang out with friends,” Toroyan said. “In winter quarter, I definitely had seasonal depression and it was harder for me to follow along with a schedule of what to do and when to do it, but I’m hopeful that will change since it is better weather outside.”
So, why is spring quarter the most sought-out quarter to make change? The New University previously reported that winter quarter was “psychologically more difficult.” We asked students to share their thoughts on why this might be.
Second-year biological sciences student Haley Bendorf related this predicament to the change in weather.
“I feel that spring is a great time for change because I know that sunlight boosts your serotonin levels, making you more energetic and overall happier, and this just leads a person to want to do more,” Bendorf said. “In comparison with winter, the cold just drives a person to almost isolation and you just do not feel like doing as much as you would when the sun is out.”
Bendorf cites sunnier weather as a motivator to be more productive.
“My goals for this quarter is to get all of my assignments done before the due date, workout more and fix my sleep schedule,” Bendorf said. “I hope to accomplish these goals by keeping a planner where I plan out my day before.”
Second-year psychology student Edgar Chaidez also weighed in on why spring quarter is the perfect time to start afresh.
“The gray skies and how it gets darker more quickly just kills the mood more and makes it harder to go to classes or do assignments, especially when it rains,” Chaidez said. “I know my goals for spring quarter are to workout and do more reading than I did in winter, and to reach these goals I am going to make sure I do not procrastinate on assignments or on school-related things that need to be done in order to have time for the other things.”
For many Anteaters, whether it’s psychological or just personal preference, spring quarter seems to represent a time for new beginnings.
Noor Abuaita is a Campus News Intern for the spring 2023 quarter. She can be reached at nabuaita@uci.edu.