By: Briana Wasil, Assistant Creative Editor
As the end of the semester wraps up, we again find ourselves burdened with the amount of tasks on our checklist and no extension of time. The rushing of students, struggling to keep track of all their responsibilities, the late nights that turn into early mornings, not to mention the extracurricular activities where students are organizing events and attempting to keep up with various meetings – it begins to feel like we’re trapped in a hailstorm, and summer break acts as both a lifesaver and a deadline. So, how do we navigate these weather changes and escape unscathed at the end?
It first comes with the realization that in order to survive hail, we need to tame the rain. Now, in this metaphorical situation, it translates over to the fact that organization is an essential part of staying on top of all the changes. Whether that’s through keeping a planner, phone calendar, lists, using reminders, alarms etc., it’s imperative to plan and prepare for unexpected events. The mentality of this is that we will expect the best, but prepare for the worst possible outcome because let's face it… life happens. You get sick, you don’t get enough sleep, you forget about a meeting, assignment, event or you simply have no more room in your schedule for anything else.
When we are faced with the unexpected, we need to be ready to prioritize, which means putting things into the perspective of life or death. Asking questions to reframe your mind such as, “In two or five years am I going to remember this test or paper I’m stressing about?” The majority of the responses are probably no — personally, I don’t even remember what I had for dinner two days ago. What I will remember is the way I spent my semester and who I spent it with. Sometimes, prioritizing means being able to take care of yourself. Through reframing our minds, we can use this to combat the weather and not let the rain become hail.
After we have our assignments laid out and a better mindset about finals, all that’s left is tackling the move out. Now, if you are someone who procrastinates and waits ‘til the last minute to pack… have no fear, you are not the only one. Something that I have found useful is taking time — because we have oh, so much of that — and try to put a couple of items away that you know you don’t need. This could be books, decorations, posters, even clothes that are past season and gathering them into boxes, tubs or suitcases. By doing this, you have successfully started the process of moving out!
Taking one step at a time truly makes a difference when it comes to crossing the finish line. It’s important to remember through this process that even though it may not feel like you have everything under control: you do. There is a whole community that is going through these same scenarios, and if you’re struggling to subdue the hail and rain… just remember you only need to reach out and someone will be there to hand you an umbrella.