What a gig, right? Getting to be on campus during winter term and not really be taking a class, but having a few meetings and obligations once or twice a day and only a few days of the week. It is the ideal situation if you are trying to spend your January on campus. Here's what I have realized and been experiencing the last two weeks.

I have come to learn that winter term as a freshmen is the most fun a person will ever in all of their years have in the month of January. The classes are full of first year students. The parties are a 20/1 ratio of freshmen to upperclassmen. And the entire campus is vacant compared to the fully stocked freshmen dormitories in South Quad.

I have learned that eight girls in an 80-person house is scary. The sound of silence has never been heard so loudly. The amount of alone time I have had already is unsettling. Being in the house for a four-hour period and not crossing paths with a single person is very depressing.

Some perks of being alone on campus for winter term are worth the loneliness. The gym is normally always relatively empty, which is nice, not ever having to wait for the machine you want. There is always the weight of dumbbell you need next. And there are plenty of coat hangers and fewer chances of mixing up jackets over WT.

Being a teacher's assistant has been interesting and quite the learning experience thus far. I had no idea how quickly I would be sounding like my own professors saying things such as, "This is your only class right now, so there are no excuses." Or why teachers are so strict on deadlines; it never made more sense to me. I never knew how much separation I would feel from my peers when sitting on the other side of the desks assigning them stories. I have learned a great amount already.

As fun as winter term is and as much as I am learning and growing from being a TA this month, the amount of free time has me quite excited for classes to start. A person only needs so much free time.