Winter break has just ended and you’re thrilled to be back roaming the little Gambier snow globe you call home. Entering your cozy room just as you left it and throwing your arms around familiar shoulders reminds you just how much you’ve missed Kenyon. Even though you’re stoked for a whole new semester of shower shoes, Peirce food, and the frigid cold, some of your classmates are too stressed about new classes and schedule adjustments to enjoy it. Whether you can’t wait to start the semester or can’t wait to finish the semester, here are a few simple things that anyone can do to make someone else’s day!
1. Keep your Heads up
Whether you’re superstitious or “just a little stitious,” someone out there is likely having worse luck today than you are. Instead of walking past the loose penny you find on the street, flip it to heads to make someone’s day just a little bit better. Even if you don’t believe in luck, 1¢ is a small price to pay for someone else’s happiness.
2. Leave Notes
The words “thank you” are uttered so often that much of their meaning has been lost. Make the distinction between the passive post-“bless you” thank you and the teary-eyed “I can’t believe you knitted me a scarf!” thank you by taking the time to put it in writing. Nothing shows gratitude better than a nice gesture. Scribble a cute note or doodle on a post-it and stick it on your friend’s door on your way to class. It will make for a pleasant start to someone’s day and the meaning will be permanently inked onto something tangible for the recipient to see just how much you care.
3. Skip the Small Talk
Break the pattern of the routine market conversation by asking the cashier more than “how are you?” and then responding with “you too” when they tell you to “have a nice night.” Skip the predetermined dialogue and instead have a real conversation while receiving food from a Peirce employee or picking up your drink at Wiggins. Afraid your kind efforts will be perceived as random? Don’t be. Any topic of conversation is refreshing to someone who repeats “what can I get for you today?” for hours on end.
4. Pay-It-Forward
In dire need of some positive karma? Sometimes you gotta give a little to get a little. Put an extra dollar in the vending machine or stick some more quarters in the washer when you’re done. The person who uses the machine after you will be thrilled to find that their services are free. Leave an anonymous note with “pay-it-forward” instructions and maybe your generous efforts will start a chain reaction.
5. Compliment a Stranger
If you recognize someone around campus for the hilarious article they wrote or the character they played in the show you’ve just seen, don’t wait for them to walk past you so you can tell your friends over lunch. Instead, tell the individual what a great job you think they did. Nothing boosts someone’s self-esteem like positive recognition from someone that they didn’t know even knew their name.
There are few feelings better than making someone smile, or losing feeling in your own cheeks because you know someone cares about you. Who says someone else’s happiness takes a lot of time or effort? Sometimes it’s the little gestures that can go a long way.
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