Future you will be thankful
Illustration by Sage Blackwell.
As someone who learned all of my existing executive-functioning skills from balancing my coursework, I’ve come to realize that students are often given more work than there are hours in a day for. One tradition I’ve picked up to combat the onslaught of work that comes with student life is the “January Reset,” which allows me to establish healthy habits and positive vibes, as if it’s the first day of the school year again.
Here are five ideas for your January reset:
House hunting
Finding housing in Victoria is notoriously difficult. Students can expect to dodge and weave between sketchy and unclear advertisements, pressuring landlords, and a variety of unsafe living conditions in order to find a place to live during their studies.
Therefore, it’s important to hit the ground running and start looking for housing advertisements ludicrously early. When I was looking for a house with friends for the beginning of my second year, I started looking in January of my first year. Even though we didn’t find a good fit until March, we found that starting early helped us understand the renting process better, as well as refine our expectations and desires for our place.
Scholarship applications
Did you know that UVic has many in-course scholarships which are available to all students? Between semesters is the perfect time to make sure you’re getting credit for your hard work, and it’s never been easier than rifling through UVic’s in-course scholarships and awards list to see what you can apply for.
There are scholarships for a variety of demographics, majors, faculties, programs, and purposes, including Indigenous and BIPOC Students, LGBTQ+ students, and single parents. There are also many general financial aid scholarships, and academic achievement scholarships.
Forgettable Chores
I already know exactly which stupid chore will commence my “January Reset” this 2024–5 season. I have owned an art bin throughout my degree which has never once been organized or, frankly, touched. It used to belong in my closet, but due to its “avalanching” nature it now sits in the corner of my room at all times, vowing to forever be in my way. Art bin? I’m coming for you.
Every student has a chore equivalent to my art bin: that forgettable and stupid chore which is insignificant enough to always be ignored, but which nags and weighs on you while schoolwork takes top priority. So I say: take charge of your 2025 and do that stupid, idiotic chore now, before it has the chance to give you anxiety in the new year.
Home Improvements
Especially when living off-campus, simple home improvements can sometimes really make a difference when it comes to maximizing study time during the semester.
Practical tasks like changing light bulbs and smoke detector batteries can become stressors when things get hectic, so addressing these before the semester begins might end up being a relief.
You might come up with a creative fix to a house-wide issue. For example, one January, my roommates and I collected broken charging cords that we used to tie down the lids of our garbage bins, so wildlife couldn’t get into them. January is also a great time for “House Meetings” between roommates, to establish new rules or good housing habits.
Rearranging furniture or adding decorations to your home or bedroom can also boost your motivation. Simply switching the place of your bed and dresser, or adding a new light fixture to a space can drastically change the feel.
Compile a list of wellness activities for reference
It’s easy to get caught up in work and completely forget that our bodies need other types of enrichment besides education. One way to make sure that wellness doesn’t fall to the wayside is to compile a list of activities that you can refer to later if you need a brain break during the semester.
I research physical activity programs at my local pools and gyms, paying special attention to drop-in sessions which I can attend sporadically. It’s also important to add things that make you feel happy and calm, which could be video games, art, music, reading, meditation, talking to family, walking your dog, or even bubble baths.
