Your personal how-to guide to survive (and hopefully thrive) the longest half of the year
So we’re back. Who’s excited…? I’ll wait.
I was under the impression that at some point over the long winter break, I would want to return to school and get back into a routine. Yeah, I was wrong. I was practically dragged out of my comfy bed back to the lofted one in my dorm.
I thought returning to school for the second semester would be way easier than the first. We didn’t have to move in again, and at this point, I have friends and people I love who I know for certain will be there. Even so, I dreaded coming back more than I did when I moved in for the first time. There is something about returning home for the first long time that erases all of that readjusting you did at the beginning of the year. Because our break is a month long, it felt to me like I was just back at home forever, like I had just been at a weirdly long summer camp that trailed into the next two seasons or something.
So, as soon as I’d readjusted to college, I readjusted back home the next week. That’s why making Madison a second home is so important; it doesn’t have to replace what you have back where you came from, but it should be a place you want to be. I had to be reminded of why exactly I love this place so much.
To be honest, I’m still adjusting back. There are times when all I want to do is rot on my couch back at home and hang out with my parents, absolutely, but that’s when I have to remember exactly why I’m here. On the first day of class, my professor told us not to waste the opportunity we were given. That none of his grandparents got past the eighth grade, not because they couldn’t, but because they didn’t have the opportunity to. I was instantly reminded of how fortunate we are to have these resources at our fingertips. So yeah, maybe it is important to adjust back successfully.
Now, how exactly do we go about that? Well, I’m declaring right now that this is the semester of staying on top of work. In fact, I’m going as far as to say that we should get ahead of it. My friends and I were in the College Library for three hours today. Mind you, we’re barely three weeks into school. And yet, it is so rewarding to put in a little extra time and effort so that you can take time for yourself the next day that you otherwise wouldn’t have. In a period of readjusting to reality (and accepting that I can’t play on my iPad for hours every day), this little “me time” is a crucial middle ground between doing nothing and being productive.
On top of this, we must recognise that this is the coldest few weeks ever, or at least it feels like it. Classes were cancelled for the first time in five years, and I’m positive that Madison has seen similarly colder days. My key to surviving this semester is to get outside. It was 24 degrees today and it felt like it was summer; I didn’t even have to wear gloves! The point is, don’t let the cold keep you quarantined in your room. It did that to me for a bit, and it drove me insane. It’s important to go outside for a bit, get some steps in, and see your friends. Reuniting with old friends and going out and meeting new people has made this semester so far for me, and I’m sure it will continue to do so. That and making time to play on my iPad, of course.
Ultimately, if you’re like me and had a rough time accepting your fate in your dorm bed, I can promise you that it’ll get better. It’s the simple pleasures that can carry you through this semester. Make some time for yourself, and don’t forget to have fun. And of course, that starts with getting ahead on your homework.