This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCD chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Everyone has that one quarter here at UC Davis. No dramatic turning point or sudden collapse—just a slow unraveling that starts in the middle of a quarter. It starts with missing your 9 a.m. lecture once, then twice, then for the rest of the week. A late assignment turns into a Canvas page you pretend not to look at altogether. Texts go unanswered, and notifications pile up. Meals get skipped or DoorDash becomes one of your “frequently used” apps. You keep telling yourself you’ll catch up on sleep next week—but next week never really comes.
Everyone has that one quarter. The one where it feels like every little thing is slipping through your fingers. It could be because of burnout, a personal loss, a mental health dip, or just the quiet accumulation of stress that finally catches up. At a school like UC Davis, where everyone seems to be moving quickly, rushing to labs, filling out internship applications, finding time to prioritize your brain, your body, and still showing up to class—it’s easy to think you’re the only one who’s falling behind.
You’re not.
This is the part that most people don’t talk about. Not on Instagram, where college is romanticized in a manner that’s deemed unrealistic. Not in class group chats, and especially not when they’re talking about their plans for summer research or graduate school. But it’s real. A lot of students experience it, some silently, some repeatedly, and it’s not a failure. It’s the season. Maybe you’re in it right now. Especially here during week 6 or 7, maybe this is the quarter where your grades aren’t what you hoped. Where you aren’t involved, not thriving, just. . . getting through. There’s nothing glamorous about it, but it’s not meaningless either.
Because these are the quarters that teach you things that the good ones don’t. Like how to ask for help. How to give yourself grace. How to stop measuring your worth by how busy or productive you are. These make you stronger, and somehow shape you academically, and as a person. UC Davis will keep moving. Bikers will still ignore the “no biking” sign in front of the Memorial Union. The library will still be full at midnight during Week 10. But if you’re slowing down, it doesn’t mean you’re behind. It just means you’re human.