By Kelsey Rogers, Assistant Living & Arts Editor
College is currently dragging. I’m constantly being reminded that these will be the best four years of my life, since apparently everything goes downhill after this and I’ll be spending the rest of my life worrying about debt and mortgage and offspring covered in snot.
With that constant reminder, I try to soak in every moment that I can. When I’m away over break, I’m longing to be back on campus. I’m normally the first to brag about how amazing my school is, but lately I’ve been feeling like I’m chasing after a train that is way too fast for me and I don’t have the time to appreciate the little things that I should be enjoying.
This is where a person with common sense would take a step back and reflect on what is making them feel stressed and make the adjustments accordingly, but I’m dense so I decide to crank everything up five notches.
With that, my stress levels go up too. You can compensate stress by simply working harder, right?
This method normally isn’t very affective. Next thing you know, you’re doing laundry and a reading assignment at 4 a.m. and living off of mac and cheese.
However, when people ask about how I’m doing, I immediately start to list any kind of assignment or project I’m currently pursuing. It doesn’t cross my mind to mention the fact that I lack a consistent sleep pattern or that I can’t remember the last time I took a whole day devoted to myself. I’d rather bury myself in work and hope that everything works out accordingly than admit that I need to take a step back sometimes and do some self-care.
It’s okay to feel frustrated and it’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed with your workload because it’s bound to happen to every individual that pursues a degree. When you decide to shove your stress to the side, it will eat you alive and you’ll feel yourself crumbling like a nature valley bar.
Take those few moments that you have to yourself in the day and just relax. Don’t check emails or reorganize your planner. Breathe and tell yourself that you are capable of what you’re striving for. There’s a difference between drive and dread, and sometimes—all the time—I seem to draw the line between the two very hazily, and as a result I start to resent things that I once loved.
Even if you feel defeated, fake it until you make it, right? Eventually the ball will start rolling and things will end up better than you planned for. Papers will be completed and exams will be turned in and you will finally be able to take a deep sigh of relief. One week at a time is my mantra, and with six remaining in the semester, best of luck.
