By Mia Ingui
Opinions Editor
For those, like myself, who are now feeling completely overwhelmed with the concept of going back to school, waking up for the 8 a.m. class you regrettably signed up for and having to once again endure the fine dining at Eickhoff Hall, I wanted to provide some hope.
To begin, here is an anecdote about my winter break.
By Dec. 19, I was beyond finished. My couch was just calling my name, and I needed to get to it immediately, if not sooner. I finished my last exam in exactly 28 minutes and zoomed up Route 1 back to my humble home.
It just gets exhausting. Suddenly, mid-December hits like a brick, and the stress and social pressures of college life weigh down too heavily on students. They just cannot continue without a break.
Therefore, I couldn’t get home fast enough on Dec. 19. Christmas music blaring through my speakers, I jingled and jangled all the way home, stoked about the upcoming holiday season and some much-needed time off. I would miss my new friends and groups at the College, but, hey, at least my hometown friends and I would spend some time together.
I was a bit off.
I quickly discovered that my hometown friends had moved on, as they no longer felt the need to be the tight-knit, resilient group that we were just a few months prior. All our memories, our late night drives to Wawa and our game nights and our love for one another simply vanished into dust and crumbled in front of my eyes.
A few good people remained and are still a large part of my life. I’m very thankful for them. It still hurt, though, to realize that many friendships cannot withstand the distance and the separation that comes with going to college.
On a brighter note, on Christmas Eve, my great aunt gave us a platter the size of a pizza filled with perfectly stacked Italian Christmas cookies. We still haven’t finished all of them.
The rest of break was nothing short of wonderful. I went back to work, I laid on my couch and ate chips. I also spent some time with people from college and those remaining from high school, and, most importantly, I spent time with my incredible family, who I’ve missed more than anything.
For returning to school: Yes, we’re all a little nervous, scared and anxious. This is what I’ve realized. Take comfort in the fact that these feelings are not exclusive, and that you may be surprised at who is feeling the same as you.
Rise above the nerves and the anxiety. All it takes is some dedication, a few late nights and many, many cups of coffee. And in my case, a few Christmas cookies. If anyone wants any, feel free to reach out. We’re still trying to get rid of them.
To a new semester!
