Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
St. John's | Life

The First “Sit Outside All Day” Moment and Why It Feels So Healing

Kiersten Ho Student Contributor, St. John's University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. John's chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

After a marathon of Italian and Psychology library sessions, the first 81*F day at St. John’s feels less like a forecast and more like a collective deep breath. Between the frantic race for registration seats and the post-Night Market recovery, that first afternoon on the Great Lawn is where we finally trade our jackets for the “spring reset” we’ve been craving. 

Step 1: The Strategic Layering 

We all know the struggle of the morning commute. It’s 59*F when you leave, so you grab the quarter-zip, but by Common Hour, you’re frantically checking your st johns email while trying not to overheat. The “healing” begins the moment you can finally shed that extra layer and feel the sun on your skin. 

Step 2: Productivity vs. Presence

There’s a lot of pressure to be a high-achiever during finals prep: to grind through History and Psychology readings until your eyes blur. But true healing comes from romanticizing the routine. For me, this spring is about more than just cleaning my room; it’s about a personal evolution. Whether it’s finally submitting that organization application or planning a permanent piece of art-like a fine-line tattoo-the season is a reminder that we are allowed to grow at our own pace. 

Step 3: Finding Your Spot

Healing is discovered in the “peek-a-boo” moments of campus life: 

  • The sound of a nearby speaker playing pop beats
  • The sight of cherry blossoms finally winning the war against winter
  • The feeling of submitting a pitch and knowing you’ve actually captured a moment. 

April isn’t just a countdown to summer; it’s the link. So, take the hour. Ditch the library for the lawn. Let the sun do the heavy lifting for a while. You’ve survived the mid-semester rush: you’ve earned the right to just be.

Kiersten Ho

St. John's '29

From Great Neck, NY but now living in Fresh Meadows, Kiersten Ho is a freshman studying undecided but hoping to study psychology at the St. John’s University chapter. Following graduation, she hopes to work with psychologists in NY. For the chapter, she hopes to write about music, traditions and dimensions of the life of a college student. She hopes to find passion in writing and express her opinion on the topics she discusses in her pieces. In her free time, she loves to listen to music, watch movies, play games, travel, and read books. If you have any comments or feedback for her pieces, feel free to email her at kierstenho16@gmail.com or reach out to her on Instagram @ho_kiersten !