Well, it’s that time again. Time to buckle down and get your shit together in order to actually pass those classes you’ve been ignoring. Yep, it’s midterm time. Some of you may scoff at the suggestion that there is a midterm “time.” There are a few of you out there who have been plagued by midterms from week three and will continue to be until week eight. This, in my opinion, is the hardest part of the quarter simply because, unlike finals, with their enforced week of testing, midterms can drag on forever. It’s for this reason that classes surge with attendance at this time, full of people frantically trying to cram in that last bit of info before the big day. Still others dive head first into studying, going into a full blackout and ignoring the outside world while their friends fear for their survival.

If you fall into that category and find yourself going stir crazy in your room/apartment/library/study lounge/hellhole, then I invite you to step outside this week. Take a breath, go for a walk or indulge in a mini-escape. While I know it’s not practical to actually take the time to do something cool this week outside of I.V., I encourage you to do something different for even a brief period of time to take your mind off all the crap that you are dealing with at the moment.

It is with this in mind that I propose this week’s Escape into I.V. Rather than fleeing for solace, turn inward to examine some of the more peaceful and relaxing places in I.V. At the very least you might find a new study spot for yourself.

First off, I want to talk about frisbee golf. While I know the actual sport of golf is looked at with disdain, even in the era of Tiger Woods and his accompanying video games, and I realize that golf with plastic discs is less than a thrilling notion, I encourage you to hear me out. First of all, it is stupid-proof. This is not to say that it is for idiots, but rather that if you arrive at a frisbee golf course armed with nothing but a disc and your own feeble mind to guide you, most of you will be able to figure out the general concept. The game gets more complicated over time as you become more serious about it, but for the casual player, it can be a nice break.

The course in I.V. is located in the 6700 block of Sueño Road and sprawls over to Estero Community Park. You can find a scorecard online, but the map provided on the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District Web site provides a different numbering scheme than the signs posted on the actual course.

The game itself can be played with any type of frisbee, although purists will tell you that it really should be played with one of those heavy duty ones that cost 20 bucks. Serious players carry a set of discs like a golfer would carry clubs with “putters” and “drivers.” While I promise not to judge you if you go this far (OK, maybe a little bit), I urge you to consider picking up the plastic disc of yore and challenging a group of people to a game to clear your heads.

Placing yourself in the position of being a disc golf rookie allows you to take the game a little less seriously while still having fun. If it gets too intense between you and your fellow competitors, I would urge you to take a moment and look around at the situation. You are in the middle of I.V., trying to throw a piece of plastic into a metal basket. As far as stress relief goes the chink of the chains on the basket may not equal a Scottie Pippin swish, but the satisfaction may just be the closest you ever get. Unless, of course, you’re Scottie Pippin.