On behalf of the Undergraduate Student Government, I’d like to formally welcome you to the beginning of midterms season!

As a student, remember that there are many resources around campus to help you through this challenging period of time. 

As an individual, remember that the grades on your paper are almost never a reflection of who you truly are. It’s something that we all deeply know, yet seldom talk about. 

Taking on large responsibilities typically requires remembering things. That sounds like a no-brainer, but often times, our brain says “no.” 

In the moments you need it the most, it seems to significantly decline in performance. It’s fascinating how stress and pressure largely impact the quality of our efforts. 

In that sense, the brain is incredibly lazy. Information tends to only stick around when there is emotion attached to it. It’s why we remember birthdays much easier than we remember assignment due dates. It’s also why we remember long stories much better than we remember equations. 

The way to best work around this is to find meaning in everything we come across, and understand an abstract concept — what we learn plays a large role not only in what we know, but also in how we know and learn. 

Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I’d like to stress the importance of drinking water, eating right and getting a good night’s rest. 

Drinking water consistently is one of the best things you can do for your body. It provides a plethora of benefits — clearer skin, joint lubrication, waste management, increasing metabolism and so much more. When you combine that with a balanced and nutritional diet, you’ll feel better, and in turn, do better.

When it comes down to it, life is an incredibly long process of time getting faster. If you don’t stop to look around and appreciate your opportunities, skills and moments, you might miss them. In order to enjoy the full human experience, it’s important to be present. 

This is something I definitely have a struggle with, especially with all the responsibilities I’m currently juggling. Living in the moment, however, is not something you actively try and achieve. On the contrary, it comes from not trying.

Joshua Castillo is the executive vice president of USG. He can be reached at joshua.castillo@usgbaruch.com. His office is located at 3-276 in the Newman Vertical Campus.