Since many of you are back in school for a couple of weeks by now, I thought a little discussion of isssues coming up in mid-semester might help. I'll blab on and on for a little while here, and you can feedback with things you are noticing.
Many of you were concerned about Back-to School issues, and hopefully most of them turned out to be more anticipatory worries than real school problems (though I know the real problems are there too, and we'll get to that). The hardest part about MOST things is getting started, and getting into the school attitude is just like that. But after a few weeks, you start to find your groove. And then, homework and midterms and papers start to foul things up again! Again, gettin started can be a big stumbling block - here, we might call that procrastination (or, we might wait and talk about that later - he-he!). We all procrastinate on things that we don't like to do, or on things that we feel might be too overwhelming, or when it seems that other more important things are looming large.
In the first case, we might want to find ways to make the things we're facing a little more pleasant to do (like, if you can choose a writing assignment, choosing something that you want to learn about anyway makes it a bit more fun).
In the second case, we might need to "break the chore down" into small pieces, so it doesn't seem so overwhelming - like, on the first day, just get your reference material all together on the desk/table. Then, on the second day, write the first sentence of an outline (that's all, just one). Then, keep on doing one little bit after another, one day at a time.
In the third case, we might need to decide which things are really important (we HAVE to do them) and which things are urgent (we need to do them NOW). It's amazing how many things are only urgent but not important (like watching Seinfeld), and can suck up all our "free" time.
Learn to decide which things are important AND urgent, one or the other, or neither, and concentrate on those that are both first, and then on things that are just important.
Getting ready for exams is something else that can seem overwhelming, but starting early (and slowly) can make it much easier. Once you know the test is coming, get the book out the first day. On the second day, make an outline of what you'll need to know. On the third day, concentrate on those things you don't know well yet, but that you CAN understand. If you have someone to ask about things you don't yet understand, then ask them. Otherwise, concentrate your time on the things you ALREADY understand, or CAN understand with a little work. This turns out to be the most efficient way to use precious little study time.
One other thing about this time period (in the Northern Hemisphere only - for those of you down under, it may come up in about 6 months.
People that are prone to depression may notice that it starts or gets worse in the Fall. This might be related to the season, to less light during the day, or to other things, but is often referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It can be treated just like any other depression, but in addition extra sunlight can make a big difference. Keep aware of your mood, if you've ever notice the tendency to get down in the Fall, and get outside more (or get a sunlight-imitating fluorescent light for your study area).
Finally, with all the things going on both in school and outside school right now, you may not have as much time to get your ideas to the list as you did during the summer. That's OK. This may be a good time to just tune in once a week and read, or to save the emails you want to respond to until the weekend. School, for most of you, really needs to be a priority. But we're here if you need us.

Professor Hat