The Observer, November 18, 2005
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11
So close, yet so far away - a freshman's first Thanksgiving
In less than two weeks, we will be back in our own beds. We will eat food that does not come in a microwavable box. We will be surrounded by people who know what we looked like in our third-grade class picture and who threaten to bring out the photo albums. We know what we looked like, and I, for one, do not need to be reminded.
Before we get to all that good stuff, we have to suffer through what I have been referring to as "freak-out five." OK, so maybe I haven't called it that, but it needed a title. The freak-out five are these five days before we get that much-needed break. These are the days filled with exams, homework, projects, and essays. Add to the mix lack of sleep and pour in lots of drama (with your friends, your current partner, your ex, and even the kid who didn't hold the door for you today) and you've just raised your stress level by at least a power of 10. I won't even mention Cleveland's weather or the Freshman 15.
We can just sit in a corner and sulk, and trust me, a corner has been calling my name since last Friday, but do we really want to sit on the floor in a corner? Come on, there are germs – and I don't do germs. Or, we could throw temper-tantrums, but really who looks cute doing that? Getting red-faced is so not the way to find a date. Instead, just get everything done. I'm not saying don't complain. I, for one, wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't, but get everything done. Make some time for that essay and a study group for that exam. That way you are studying and maybe, with your knowledge of gas laws or integration by parts, impressing the person you have been way too nervous to even look at. And, let me tell you, you want to look – the view is beautiful.
Take some time for yourself too. Listen to some music, watch a movie, or read a book – this is Case after all. If you feel up to it, talk to the person that you are having problems with. Good chances, they are just as stressed as you are.
Just remember, at the end of every rainbow, there is a pot of gold. OK, maybe in our cases, not a pot of gold, but of rice, pasta, chili or some type of food. Food that wasn't cooked in Leutner or Fribley, that you are looking forward to, and will be there in just five days.
If that corner is looking really good, you should see your RA or University Counseling Services. Those are some really nice places to sit and I bet the conversation will go a lot better when there is someone talking back to you, or at least listening..
