Waiting may be boring...

...but taking a break to visit your friends is definitely not.

Happy Easter Monday to those of you who celebrate it. In one week I'll depart the U.S. but right now I find myself not at home but in Charlottesville, visiting friends, finding housing for next year and interviewing for an internship. Being back has been really great and I don't feel, bad I guess is the right word, or regretful that I'm not here with my friends. I definitely don't feel any regret about not having classes at this time, but that pesky coursework will come soon enough. At the end of last semester, I really thought I wouldn't be able to bear this interminable wait before my time abroad began. This faux "summer" break in the middle of winter has really been relaxing and now I'm ready for the term to begin.

Just a quick work about getting things together for next year. For those studying abroad for a year or a semester, one concern is getting everything in order for your return to your host institution, i.e. housing and course enrollment. Juggling both studying abroad and planning for your return may seem difficult, but here are a few tricks to keep everything under control.

1. Know your deadlines: If there are papers or other technicalities that need your approval or are time sensitive, the worst that can happen is to forget about them because of a time change or simply by living life. Always keep a tally of your deadlines and know which ones are coming up in the immediate future.

2. Don't wait to the last minute: It almost goes without saying, but as a procrastinator who always manages to squeak by at the last second (and who just reformulated a resume last night for an interview this morning), I know it needs to be stated. If you have a question about anything about your return and your courses at your home institution, do not hesitate to ask. There may be deadlines you're unaware of that you might miss. And (for the most part) university administrators really want to help you, that's what they're here for.

3. Try not to stress: This might completely discredit the previous two points, but if you miss a deadline or run a little late, it's not the end of the world. Try not to stress about it too much. The great thing about college is a good deal of responsibility is coupled with a good number of people who want to help you when that responsibility becomes too great.