Over the past few months, we have endured over 100 inches of snow, freezing temps, and painfully cold walks off campus. The winter gave us all the excuse to stay under our covers, watch Netflix, and revel in the warmth of our luxurious XL twin beds. For many though, the winter has put us in a lull. As the days of our second semester start to go by, it is hard not to look back on our time here and reflect on our experiences. We often think about what we could have or should have done or all the things we definitely should NOT have done. When we first arrive on campus every year, we are excited and eager to meet new people and try new things. But as the year goes on, we can sometimes forget about all the things we WANT to do and lose ourselves in the things we HAVE to do and often don’t enjoy. The grey clouds of winter can leave us feeling gloomy and less motivated, but as the year winds down and the sun starts to shine a little bit brighter, it’s the perfect opportunity to embrace our last few months here on the hill and find what makes us happy!
Embrace everyday: Personally, one of the hardest things for me to do is to take life one day at a time. As students here at HC, we are always hyper-focused on due dates, tests, and our social lives. It is so easy to stay in Dinand all-day and let the hours go by while you feverishly flip through your textbook. It’s especially hard not to constantly think about the future, which often leaves us forgetting about the here-and-now. It’s so important to take life one day at a time and truly embrace everyday. We only have so many days on this wonderful hill that we call home, so we have to cherish all the moments, even the bad ones, that we experience everyday. Focusing on your day and really living in the moment will help make everyday more enjoyable.
Find your passion: If you’re either lacking extracurricular activities or balancing between three meetings a day for your extensive list of clubs and activities, it can be hard to know what you truly are interested in. College is the best place to find what you’re truly passionate about and get lost in the things you love. Even though you might think it’s too late to join a club, run for a position, or try something new…it’s certainly not! If an email about an activity catches your eye, go to the meeting or the event and see if it’s something you can really see yourself doing. And don’t be afraid to go alone. I sometimes find myself being dragged to an event with my friend or dragging my friends to something I want to do just because I don’t want to go alone (c’mon ladies we’ve all done it). BUT, going alone to an event or an activity is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and find something you are truly passionate about. Being busy with things that you love is the best way to be busy!
Surround yourself with people who make you happy: A benefit of going to a school like Holy Cross is that you can almost guarantee that you will find amazing, kind people to surround yourself with! The great thing about college is that you are constantly meeting new people who share the same values, goals, and passions as you. It’s so important to surround yourself with people who build you up and make you laugh, because we all need people in our lives to lean on when we’ve had a hard day. Parents always reiterate that “the friends you make in college will be your friends for life,” and they’re right! College is the perfect opportunity to meet people who you truly click with and bring out the best in you.
Roll with the punches: A failed test, a write-up, or a break-up can all seem like the end of the world. As traumatic as those experiences can be, you can’t let them get you down for too long. Yes, you should definitely buy a pint (or two) of Ben and Jerry’s and drown your frustrations in ice cream…but you have to learn to roll with punches and not let one mistake or misfortune keep you from having a good time and being happy. In college, stress is a given and how we handle this stress and our insane workload is key to how happy we feel. Learning to take life as it goes and just go with it is the best way to minimize stress.
Smile: As simple as it seems, smiling is so important to feeling happy. Sometimes, just simply smiling can make any situation better. And when others see a smiling face, they can’t help but smile and be in a good mood too.
Spring semester is finally upon us, and there is so so much to be excited about. Now is the perfect time to find what you’re passionate about and surround yourself with the people that make you smile. “Most people are about as happy as they make their minds up to be,” so embrace the warmer weather and find what truly makes you happy!