The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the smell of pumpkin spice is floating through the air. If the new notebooks and syllabi were not indication enough, we are indeed back at school. However, as we know, in college there is more to school than new supplies. It’s a whole world here, with intricacies and difficulties all its own. And so, if you’re struggling to remember that summer is over, here’s a wake-up call. Set those alarms, babe…
- Your Window View in the Morning Is a Bit Different
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Gone is the swing set of your childhood, pure white beaches, or scattered villas. Now, you roll out of bed, roll up your blinds, and come face to face with the wall of another brick building. Couldn’t they at least paint some murals on the side of the building or something?
- You Forget How Loud It Gets and How Loud It Stays
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Depending on where you were over the summer, chances are it was quiet when you wanted it to be quiet. At least with some earplugs and blackout blinds. Now, the frats are partying until 4 a.m. and your roommates won’t turn down their music. It’s time to invest in noise-canceling headphones.
- Your Caffeine Addiction Is All Sorts of Wack
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During the summer, you could get by with an iced coffee. That’s right, and it was almost pleasant. You’d make it yourself, with good quality coffee and oat milk. That was before you were running off of five hours of sleep and your Red Bull cravings were back. You can have a couple a day, right?
- Your Planner Is Full
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Two words: color-coding. Black for school, green for chores, red for work, purple for meetings, and pink for fun. It’s a fact that color associations help us remember and make learning more enjoyable. Just make sure you have every color before you leave for the day.
- Your Back Hurts
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You’d think progressive back pain would wait a decade or two. However, textbooks don’t wait. It’s the second week, and it already feels like salt in a wound to put your backpack on. My professors can expect to find my medical bills in their future mailboxes.
Ultimately, we sure have come a long way since the days of glue sticks and construction paper. Have a wonderful semester everyone!