With the Spring semester underway, students all over the globe are returning to campus, many with smiles on their faces and a bounce in their step from seeing family and friends over the winter break. Some, though, are having a hard time adjusting to a constantly changing lifestyle and environment, struggling to feel excited about returning to school. If you are one of these students, you might’ve felt a sense of impending doom coming into you as you walked through the airport to fly back, suitcase heavy both physically and subconsciously. There is a way to come to terms with why you might feel this way or how to become more positive when thinking of returning. The airport offers a perfect direction for guidance, as you begin your journey back to your academic home.
- Check-in!
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This is the moment when it’s time for you to unload additional baggage. Check-in with yourself! It may seem silly, but a few moments of introspection, reflection or meditation can both calm nerves and potentially reveal the root of the problem. Maybe it’s the dangers of Covid, feeling of isolation or homesickness. There are many valid reasons to feel unsure or scared about returning. Much like the airport, it’s okay to ask for assistance or help to navigate how or why you’re feeling upset about returning to campus. Allow yourself that self-analysis to ensure there aren’t any dangerous goods in your mind and try to find something valuable in the idea of returning to campus.
- Time for Airport Security
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As a student, your emotions can turn on the dime, ranging anywhere from high to low. Because of this, it’s okay to give the school and fellow peers some time to see if your feelings change, allowing yourself time to think and feel out any problems. Much like security, it’s going to be a slow process, but hopefully you will find a sense of fulfillment once the semester is underway. It’s okay to ask for help and advice, however, if there is a strong, continuous detection of sadness, un-fulfillment and isolation continuing, these signs might indicate anxiety. This is a sign that dangerous goods have been detected and it’s time to find a solution.
- Finding the Gate
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If you’ve checked in, gone through security, and know where you are in the airport, it’s time to approach the gate, the entrance to your future. Much like the boarding gate, your future can always change and it’s up to you and your willingness to adapt to unprecedented changes. It’s very important to keep an eye on the important facts and interchanges in your life. Even if you feel a sense of existentialism, only focusing on the negatives, it’s a great idea to go ahead and try to find positives in your surroundings and peers, even if it doesn’t guarantee you return for school next year. This way, even if you do transfer or choose to withdraw, there will still be happy experiences to reflect on. If you feel overwhelmed or lost, again, consider reaching out for direction and advice!
- Boarding
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It’s time to get onboard. Maybe your hands are sweaty, your heart is racing, and your lungs have decided that they are going to go on a hiatus. Just remember, even if things are scary and uncertain, once you begin to board, you’ll be greeted by friendly faces and new opportunities. Even if things don’t work out and a transfer or withdrawal is in your future, it’s okay to have just been present for the ride. As you settle into your set and buckle in, irrational thoughts displaced and positive, rational ones in place, it’s encouraged to sit back and relax. Now, you will know where you are, where you’re heading, and how you feel. You will feel the engine rev and the stomach-upheaval of liftoff, but with friends, professors, family and other relationships on board with you, things will become easier.
Get ready for takeoff as you prepare to go in the air! It may seem difficult at first to find a place amongst peers and a new environment. However, by having a positive attitude, introspection and the willingness for new things, your worries are going to take flight. The choice regarding your future is up in the skies and is dependent on you. With you piloting yourself, there’s no way you can crash and burn. Keep it up and have a great Spring semester!