If you look at the first day's log, the whole experience seemed pretty overwhelming at the time. And from that first day, the pace grew, and grew -- stuff piled on more stuff. More to remember, more to juggle, more presumed and less explained.
Then, around a week before the mid-term exam, the pace seemed to slow dramatically. Did it? Not sure.
When I look at a typical day now (see "What's
Cookin'") versus what we were doing the first couple of days
-- there's 
no
comparison. Most of us would have jumped out the nearest window (a bad
idea; there are bars over the windows, and besides, we're on the ground
level) at the mere thought of having to put the whole day's stuff together
-- never mind do it on a deadline (starting a couple of weeks ago, we
were given service times -- when we're supposed to sit down and eat. There's
no obvious penalty [yet?] for being late -- 'cept the embarrassment.
Yet, we grew accustomed to what at least seemed like a fever-pace. Whether it was or not is irrelevant; only that, for whatever our stage of development at the time, it seemed like it.
Part of it is mid-semester logistics, part competence/competence. For me, the hiatus is appreciated (but I miss the buzz). For others, well, maybe its time for nap?