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Create a good routine for the semester

Sept. 15, 2026

— Owen Guthrie, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management

Welcome to Week 4! Can you believe it? We are already almost a quarter of the way through the whole semester! You are doing amazing! Keep up the great work! It might be the rainiest September on record, but your work is all sunshine and roses!

I hope and trust that you had a wonderful weekend! Did you attend the Hoedown Throwdown on Friday and/or Starvation Gulch on Saturday? It was awesome! Over 220 students attended the Hoedown Throwdown, and Starvation Gulch was 2,000 strong. I hope you made it! You’re now part of the rich history of Starvation Gulch at UAF. If you didn’t attend, make a note to attend next year. It was a great way to celebrate the beginning of the fall term and the end of summer.

Speaking of which, it is getting colder and the days are getting shorter. It is time to prepare for the coming winter. How are you doing in your studies? Have you created a good (academic) workout routine? Is your study schedule working for you? Are you able to allocate the space and time you need to succeed? If you haven’t yet done so, now is the time. Take a look at your schedule and figure out what is working and what isn’t. Be honest with yourself. Be your own best coach. What is your goal this semester? How are you going to get there? It will take dedication and determination. You have got this! If you need help or are unsure, talk with your advisor or an academic coach. Putting the time in now will have big payoffs in the weeks to come!

Now that you are settled into the school routine, this is a great time to find your fitness/wellness routine before winter settles in. Try out a group fitness class or even just a new piece of cardio equipment in the Student Rec Center. Explore the campus trails before the snow flies, or set aside time for some laps at the Patty Pool.

Do you like to adventure off campus and into the mountains? Adding Wilderness Medicine training to your skill set is always a great idea and strengthens your resume. Outdoor Adventures has a few wilderness first aid clinics this fall.

Looking to get outside with some help from Outdoor Adventures? Check out the UAF Trails Aurora Walk (Oct. 21), Early Season Cross Country Ski (Nov. 1), Skate Skiing Clinic (Nov. 21) and Denali Ice Climbing (Nov. 22). More info can be found on the Outdoor Adventures webpage.

Also, is this week on the Troth Yeddha’ campus. The excitement runs through Saturday, Sept. 19. Humans vs. Zombies is a moderated game of tag played with Nerf blasters. Players started the week as humans while trying to survive the growing zombie horde. This event is open to all students and features various missions throughout the week as the battle to survive the zombie horde grows more challenging. Will you survive as a human or conquer as a zombie? Have fun, stick together, stay focused. Play safely and be mindful of others.

There is so much more to do – many of those things can be found on .

As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback for me, please don’t hesitate to send your thoughts my way. You can find me at obguthrie@alaska.edu.

Have a great fourth week! You’ve got this!