September arrives with energy. New notebooks are opened, backpacks are packed, students move into dorm rooms, and the sound of the shofar reminds us that we, too, can begin again.
We blink, and younger students are in the flow of the school year, college and grad students are in the middle of the semester, the holidays are in the rearview mirror, and we are in the quiet month of Cheshvan. One might think that calmer days have arrived and that we can finally coast for a while.
However, as the excitement of a new school year fades, the leaves turn to their autumn colors, and there are no holidays marked on the calendar, our true work begins. In these weeks, there are no celebrations, no milestones, no applause, and no immediate rewards. These weeks, in the middle of the semester, in the month of Cheshvan, are some of the most important weeks of the year.
During these ordinary days, we build relationships. Without distractions, we advance our careers, work on projects, and plan community events. This is the time when we are tempted to slow down after the rigors of September and want a small break.
However, this is exactly the time when we need to step up. Now that the holidays are behind us, we can take stock of what may have been overlooked while our attention was elsewhere.
Careers, communities, and student success are built in these quiet weeks. Students offer perhaps the clearest example of this seasonal test.
Students face additional challenges at this time. Just as the excitement and tumult have waned, it is the middle of the semester, and it may become more challenging for them to open their textbooks and log into their courses. Once the clocks are turned back and the days are shorter, the impetus to open a book and study diminishes even more.
Coming home after a long day at work and continuing to work after the novelty has disappeared is challenging. That is why it is important to put safeguards in place to maintain one’s motivation.
What might those safeguards look like? Start by setting small, specific goals for each week instead of vague intentions for the whole semester. “Study more” is easy to put off; “review two chapters before Thursday” is not. Write the goals down and check them off. Each small win builds momentum for the next.
Second, build structure into your days. The holidays gave our weeks a natural rhythm, and without them, it is easy to drift. A set time for studying, a regular hour for exercise or self-care, a standing call with a friend, or a weekly session with a chavrusa can replace that rhythm with one of our own making.
Third, find a partner in the work. Students can form study groups; professionals can check in with a colleague or mentor. When someone else is expecting us, we are far more likely to show up, even on the dark evenings when the couch is calling.
Finally, be kind to yourself. Motivation will dip. Some nights, the textbook will stay closed and the project will wait until tomorrow. That is not failure; it is part of being human. What matters is returning to the work the next day.
Our tradition understood the challenge of this month. Cheshvan is often called Mar Cheshvan, the “bitter” month, because it is the only month without a single holiday. Yet the Midrash teaches that Cheshvan has not been forgotten. It is said that the Third Beis HaMikdash will be dedicated in this very month, granting it the greatest celebration of all. The month that seems empty holds the greatest promise.
So, too, in our own lives. These quiet weeks are where our true work happens. The paper written in November, the relationship nurtured on an ordinary Tuesday, the community program planned while no one is watching: These are the foundations on which our future celebrations will stand.
Our futures are not shaped by the excitement of beginnings, but by what we do after that excitement fades. Let’s make them count.
Beth Chesir is Director of Student Success and Enrollment at YU Global, a division of Yeshiva University, where she supports online students at Cardozo School of Law, Sy Syms School of Business, and Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Her team helps students stay motivated and on track long after the excitement of the first day of class has faded.