Welcome back to Loyola! There is only half of a school year left until summer time, about three months left until spring, a month and a half before midterms, only a few days before a three-day weekend and about eight words left until I finish my introductory paragraph.

My first order of business is to address the e-mails that I got over the break regarding an earlier column about Justin Bieber that I wrote last semester. Apparently there are some Bieber fans who got offended by some of the insinuations I made about the young pop star. I deeply apologize. I will never again suggest that Justin Bieber doesn’t feel an insatiable thirst for human blood, or any of the other various traits that I claimed he did not have. I should have done my homework before saying any of those scathing rumours were not true. I hope that those concerned can forgive me, and continue to be contributing readers of my column.

This week, I’d like to ask my readers to think about what last semester’s experiences mean to them. Really, take a seat and do a little soul searching. Did you all get the grades you were looking for? Are you on course to graduate on time? How much of an effect, good or bad, did your partying habits have on your studies?

Speaking of partying, how well did you get along with your friends? Make any new ones? Did you do anything different around town? Were there any intra-acquaintance tensions? Was it that Jennifer chick’s fault again?

Does Joe Such-and-Such still owe you that money? You know, from that night when he “forgot” his wallet when you were all headed to The Boot for some classy good times? And he said he’d pay you back when he got some check from his grandmother? That bum.

How was your love life? Did you ever get the nerve to talk to that cute girl in that one philosophy class, the one that made that comment about how the teacher was being a real Kant? Did she hear that one you made about how “to err is human, to moo bovine?” Do you even like puns? Probably not.

Ultimately, though, the big question we should all ask ourselves is, “Who have I become so far?” With the beginning of every semester comes a clean slate for everyone, and we have the opportunity to learn from previous mistakes and reform ourselves into however we feel appropriate to avoid making new ones.

This semester can be instrumental to becoming a better person. Maybe you will find out how to pursue that career you’ve had your eye on for so long, or perhaps you will finally decide what you want to do with your degree. Maybe this semester is when you will figure out what you want to major in, if you haven’t quite gotten to that point yet.

The point is, everyone should take some time this week to assess just where they are in life, and maybe start reorganizing some priorities. I know I do, and I also know I am not alone in that respect.

This is just something to chew on until I figure out what I’m complaining about in my next column.

Chad Carlile is a psychology junior. He can be reached at [email protected]