By Mia Ingui
News Editor
Darkness falls earlier every night, the air is no longer hot and humid, and those early morning alarms are set yet again. It's officially over.
I know, still tough to hear. I get that. If you need a minute, take one.
Now that you're doing okay, let's address the unfortunate reality here: summer has ended. Not an easy pill to swallow for any of us — definitely not for me. I remember the beginning of summer like it was yesterday. May 12. The sun was shining brightly as I sped down Pennington Road, not looking back for a second. What followed was three glorious months without schoolwork, stress and exams, replaced with the abstract concept of "free time." In that free time, I finally caught up on sleep, all of my television shows and with all of my friends who were on adventures of their own during the previous school year. The summer haze engulfed me until August rolled around.
I could count the days on my fingers until move-in day, until one day, suddenly, I was moved back in. Funny how that works.
Yes it's overwhelming to change environments all over again, but stepping back onto campus feels just like home to me now, just as it did a few months ago. The only difference between here and home is I have my mom’s lasagna at home and here, well, I don't.
For those of us struggling to get back into routine, and for the newbies who are just moving onto campus, I have a few words of advice.
Get excited. It's tough to look forward to that 8 a.m. class, believe me I know. But the more motivation you find, the better your experience will be, the faster the semester will fly by and the further you will go.
You should also learn from old mistakes. For freshman, this is all new and you’re just testing the waters for the first time. For the upperclassman, keep in mind your successes and missteps from previous years and move forward. If you failed a paper because you finally finished it at 6:30 a.m. on the due date, maybe try to avoid procrastinating this semester. If you finished at 6:30 a.m. and passed, well, good on you, keep doing what you're doing!
This time take chances. All summer I pondered on the missed opportunities I let blow by on campus because my focus was dedicated to other less important things. Get out there and take a chance on something you either put off for a rainy day or were too preoccupied to do last year. Try out for the musical. Join club frisbee. Whatever you wish. Just take the chance.
When the going gets tough at the College, it's difficult to be thankful for any of the stress and aggravation you may be going through. But keep in mind that being a part of this campus community is such a blessing that will truly shape who you are. Each challenge changes you in ways you won't believe, and each opportunity you take will lead to great rewards. Be grateful and remember to just be happy that you’re here.
Happy Fall 2017, everyone!
