The Her Campus National Editors write about products we love and think you’ll love too. Her Campus has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. All products are in stock and all prices are accurate as of publication.
Call me dramatic, but winter quarter is the actual worst time ever when your university is on the quarter system. The UV drops to a high of two, there are no big holiday breaks to look forward to, a man always disappoints me, and (for some mystical reason) I always sign up for classes with the most amount of work possible. Not to mention, I have to physically fight the urge to crawl right into my warm bed at 4:30, when it gets dark outside.
How am I going to possibly endure another quarter of this? Lucky for (future) me, I have compiled a guide that my fellow quarter system survivors can look to for guidance during these hard times.
1. Try to be in the sun more than once a dayÂ
Whether it’s waking up earlier and having coffee on my rooftop, or taking a walk after class before it gets dark, I’ve found being in the sun to be so healing, especially with the shorter days we get on the West Coast.
According to Hopkins Medicine, there is an increased risk of fall-onset seasonal affective disorder around this time of year, which has no clear cause, but could be correlated to “less sunlight and shorter days.” While it may be difficult (i.e. impossible) to keep the natural tan I built up over fall quarter, I plan to soak up as many of the UV rays as possible this winter quarter, because it really makes the days go by so much faster.
2. Prioritize friendshipsÂ
Maybe the cold makes people more lonely, and seek each other for comfort, but for some reason winter quarter tends to be the time where myself or my friends find ourselves in a messy love life situation. This year, I’m determined to avoid adding more stress to my plate, so I am making a vow of sorts to spend time outside of class with my friends more. Whether it’s brunch by the water or a fun workout class, embrace your best friends around now.
Since big holiday breaks are pretty much over by January–March, it’s the perfect time to make fun date plans with your friends. (However, if you do find yourself in a situationship with someone from IV, maybe consider taking some inspiration from the #womeninmalefields trend on TikTok, to make the most of it).
3. Create a schedule with built-in rest timeÂ
For me, it’s hard to avoid academic and social burnout, both of which tend to occur around winter quarter when it’s dark earlier, and I get much more tired. This quarter will either make or break me, with all four of my classes being stacked on Tuesday and Thursdays. But, the nice thing is, I have Monday, Wednesday, and Friday free of classes to catch up on work and take a break. I’m hoping this built-in rest time in my schedule will help me navigate self care and the non-stop busyness that is being a university student on a quarter system. I know this is a (very) unrealistic schedule for most UCSB students, but maybe you can take inspiration from it, and try to dedicate a day or two a week to rest to create a lighter work load.Â
4. Always ALWAYS have chapstick and a windbreaker/jacketÂ
 I don’t know if I can take trekking through the Arbor one more time when it’s so cold that it feels like it will snow (approx. 60 degrees for my fellow California natives), but alas we must prevail. I hate the feeling of chapped lips, and something about a Santa Barbara winter makes my lips feel like they’re gonna fall off my face, so I am constantly replying to chapstick as soon as it hits December. Biking through the winds of winter makes it much more likely that your lips will lack moisture, so I highly recommend putting a hydrating lip balm in one of your pockets.
As for keeping a jacket on you, I can not even begin to explain how many times I’ve arrived late to lecture, all sweaty from biking from IV, and then left to go to another class and felt like I was braving the icy tundras of Antarctica. I learned my lesson last year, and now always keep a small windbreaker that can be folded up small at the bottom of my bag. I may refuse to ruin my outfit on the way to class with a sweater, but for days when the sun decides midday to hide under a cloud, I am always so grateful that past-me buried a jacket under all of my books. The weather switches up fast in the winter quarter, so stay prepared Gauchos!
5. Use your resources!
UCSB has an overwhelming amount of resources available to support you in tough times, like through the trenches beautiful Isla Vista morphs into in winter. Whether it’s stopping by the Women’s Center in the SRB to get a hot cup of tea to study, or dropping in to the food bank to get a snack, UCSB has got you covered for any need that could arise, year round.
I hope this guide is helpful to all of my quarter system warriors. Good luck Gauchos, and stay safe and brave — spring break is only ten (ish) weeks away!