Addison Watson
Assistant News Editor
[email protected]
Students are roaming campus, faculty have designed their courses and the infamous squirrels at Murray State are excited to see some friendly faces again. The start of the 2020 fall semester has officially begun.
To upperclassmen, surviving college can be relatively easy, but to underclassmen, it can become quite the struggle. By following a few simple tips, every week can become easier and every day will be a breeze.
#1. Wake up earlier than you normally would
Making it to an early morning class on time can be challenging, especially if you aren’t used to hearing the roosters crow, but sacrificing a few minutes in the morning can go a long way. Waking up earlier in the morning than you normally would provides you time to do a couple of extra things that you normally wouldn’t. For example, brew or buy a cup of coffee for your first class, stop and grab a bagel during your morning commute to class or simply take the time to make your bed or put away some clothes.
#2. Avoid doing laundry on weekdays
Doing laundry can be a mundane task. It always seems to loom in the back of our heads. Instead of wasting two or three hours in the evening waiting for your laundry to be done, meet up with a friend and enjoy some social time, of course following the Centers for Disease Control guidelines and Murray State guidelines. When the weekend comes and you don’t have to get up early to make it to that morning class, take some time to knock out your laundry, and enjoy the rest of your weekend doing what you love to do. Maybe you enjoy doing laundry. If that’s the case, save it and use it as a stress reliever. We all know college has a way of inducing stress from time to time.
#3. Always, and I mean ALWAYS carry an umbrella
Murray State has this unique way of preventing peaceful rainfalls and somehow managing to turn them all into major flash floods. If it rains, it’s going to be a significant enough amount that you are going to wish you had an umbrella with you. There isn’t much worse than showing up to class and having to sit in soaking wet clothes, write on wet notebook paper and walk in squishy shoes. The rain showers pop up in a matter of minutes. The only way to be prepared for them is to have an umbrella ready to go at all times. Umbrellas are a necessity on Murray State’s campus, especially if you are a witch.
#4. Don’t forget to take care of yourself: mind, body and spirit
College has a tendency to impose an immense amount of stress on us. Keeping up with assignments, making time to study, keeping in touch with family while you’re away and maintaining a social life can jam your brains tight. The key to being successful while doing all of those things is to create time for yourself. Go to the gym and workout or walk on campus with some friends. Leave some time during the week to watch your favorite show or to listen to a podcast. Interact with your friends to maintain a positive spirit when stress begins to weigh down on you. There can always be time to do the important things, but there can never be enough time to take care of yourself.
#5. In the absence of family, lean on your friends and they will become family
Most people spent their life growing up and being around family, saying goodbye to them for an extended amount of time can be depressing. College is the perfect opportunity to meet new friends, learn their personalities, grow with them and eventually a couple of them will become near family. Friends are the people that you lean on when you’re upset, the people that support you and the people that you can navigate the obstacles of life with. Putting yourself in uncomfortable situations to make friends can be one of the best decisions of your life. Join a fraternity or sorority. Join a club. Play intramural sports. You never know who you will meet. You may meet your best man or maid of honor just by putting yourself out there. Friends aren’t forever, but friends who become like family are forever.
For anyone struggling to navigate the ups and downs of college, the University offers counseling services, free of charge. Those interested in setting up a counseling session can email [email protected]. Counseling sessions are generally bi-weekly, but can be weekly if the need for counseling is urgent.