Christmas break is, and always will be, a double-edged sword.

In its anticipatory stages, you will find yourself borderline-angry about how long it’s taking to get here; when it finally arrives, Christmas break is a refreshing breath like no other, and towards the end of the three-week period, most students find themselves in the middle of an awkward “bored at home, but dreading class” position. It seems there is no escape, as this is the position I (and many of my peers) found themselves in at the end of last week. Luckily, if I’ve come to learn anything by this point in my life, it’s to never underestimate how far a change in attitude/mindset will go.

You see, about half of you will collectively groan as you read this, but Introduction to Philosophy was “the class” this semester. You know the class you have been looking forward to since high school? The one you research late into the night on your own accord with urgent, nerd-like tendencies? Yes, Philosophy was that class, and 80 minutes later I was lucky to say my introduction to Introduction to Philosophy had held my interest, at least until the next class.

While you may not be lucky enough to have “that class” every semester, finding an interest in any of the subjects you’ll be studying over the course of four months is a simple and quick fix to the second semester dread we all feel to some extent. That being said, you can’t always shape a class into an extracurricular interest and vice-versa.  In my opinion, this is what all those countless hours watching Netflix in a darkened dorm room count best towards.

I found my niche in writing (hence, my new position on the Edge.) A year and a half ago, I started writing album reviews for a website called Absolutepunk.net. Over the past year and a half, my writing has grown and progressed out of consistency to a point where it’s all I do in my free time. From guest pieces for other blogs to running my own website, all of it has stemmed from taking action and never slowing down. It ended up being enough to convince me to switch majors.

Whether your passion is apparent or not yet surfaced, it’s important you take the time to find your niche. This very interest could be the one that grows alongside you and even have a fateful impact on your career. Maybe, just maybe, there