The Observer, April 21, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 25
Just in CASE...
...you feel unresolved
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The end of the semester is fast approaching, and so it is time to wrap up all of those outstanding issues and loose ends before you leave for the summer. So get out your piece of paper and start jotting down some notes from which to work. Think about those events that have had the greatest impact on you this year. Go all the way back to the beginning of the year and include both good and bad…now, let's sort the list.
Are there any patterns where you came into conflicts with others? Is there anything you do that just keeps getting you in trouble? Do your friends tell you about a bad habit that you have? Maybe you're not motivated or too cynical?
Whatever it might be, make plans to work on the behavior. The summer is a great time to create new habits and behaviors. One way to do this is to write down a few positive statements about creating a change in your life. Tape it to your mirror and read it every morning all summer long.
Did you meet someone new this year with whom you made an immediate connection? Not necessarily someone you want to date, but someone you find interesting or someone with common interests. It could be a potential new member. Make sure you touch base with them before summer begins. Not that you'll be "BFFs," but the summer is a long time to waste when there may be a friendship out there.
So things got bad with someone and there was a small fight. You got pissed at someone. You are usually good friends, but one thing led to another, and now you are mad. Don't ride it out through the summer. No good can come from sitting on the issue all summer. Time is not going to heal those kinds of wounds. Contact that person (or people) and talk it out. Sometimes relationships are caustic and you need to end them. If this isn't the case, resolve the situation, settle your differences, or make amends before you leave.
Look back on your successes. What went well? We spend a lot of time being proud of our accomplishments, but not much on how we achieved the accomplishments. Feel good about your success, but also think about how you got there. Spend some time reflecting and leaving others with the process. Teach others how you got there. I have seen so many groups succeed during one administration and fail the next because the "how to succeed" was not passed on. Pass it on!
So when you look back is there one thing you wish just didn't happen? One thing that you can't stop beating yourself up over? Well, stop. We all have little setbacks, disasters, and disappointments. It's part of who we are. It is not something to spend the rest of your life pining about it. Say you are sorry, forgive the trespass, and fix the problem as best you can. That moves the process along. It's not the "I'm sorry," but fixing the situation – or at least trying to – that heals. So fix your mistakes before you leave.
Who has made a difference in your life this year? Who extended the helping hand, helped you grow, taught you something? Who are these people, professors, seniors, officers, alumni? Spend some time identifying these people and say thank you. Let people know they matter to you.
The last thing you wanted was homework for the summer, but this will help give you some piece of mind over break, and help you to look forward to the fall.
