The second half of the school year awaits us!
A brand new chapter in many of our lives is just around the corner, whether you are an Obie or not. Coming from experience, I can honestly say that this semester is going to fly by a lot faster than the fall semester. There are fewer school breaks for us to sit back and enjoy, which ultimately means that this semester will be busier than last semester.
Could the lack of breaks lead to more stress? Possibly, which is why it is important to rest whenever you feel like you are overworking yourself.
As I have said on previous posts on here, Obies in particular tend to overwork themselves more than we would like to admit. It seems as though being an overachiever is a part of our collective DNA. While this is our "badge of honor" in a way, it isn't necessarily the best mentality for our mental health. I have talked about that side of the school grind on multiple occasions, but it is still important for me to reiterate the fact that you have to prioritize your mental health. The school grind is a very real grind that will eat you alive if you do not do so, and I have seen and experienced times when the mind wasn't being taken care of in the right way during the working process. It wasn't a pretty sight to say the least, and while the quality of work may have been high, it would have been even higher if the mind was properly cared for during that time. Be kind to your brain, y'all. Eat and hydrate whenever you need to, and SLEEP. Again, SLEEP. I can't stress that enough, especially when it comes to my fellow Obies. So there is my little speech on that aspect of the semester.
Things just feel... different this time around.
Personally, the idea that this semester will fly by may be different for me and many other folks going through similar experiences as I am, because I graduate with many of my fellow class of 2020 classmates in May. While these past four years at Obieland have flown by, I have a feeling that time is going to significantly slow down this time around. I know that's what occurred when I was a senior in high school, which may be a position that many of the readers of this post may be in right now. When I finished my last semester in high school, I started to notice the smaller things more and more. The days would go by slower, and I did not necessarily mind that. Sure, I grew a little anxious and wanted to explore the wild world of college as a seventeen-year-old teenager trying to learn more about the world, but I also understood that I would never be able to experience that transition again.
Now, here I am at the age of twenty-one, anxious to see what the next chapter in this journey called life holds for me. I know that I'm looking forward to seeing where I end up after graduation and beyond, but I also know that it is a priority to cherish my loved ones at Oberlin while I can. This institution changed a lot about me, from the way I think about certain things to the way I operate. There are some days (and there will probably be days in the near future) when I will complain about the little things about Obieland that get on my nerves, but those things seem so insignificant when I see the bigger picture.
This year is the perfect opportunity for goals to be achieved.
One of my goals for this semester is to embrace everything, from the classes that feel a few minutes too long to the enjoyable social functions that occur here. I'm even going to try going to events that I usually would not go to so that I can fully appreciate this place in its highest capacity. I hope that in doing this, I am able to receive the "full" Obie experience. I encourage many of my fellow Obies to do the same, because I can honestly tell you that time flies not only in college, but also in life. This life is way too short to have any regrets, so personally, I want to ensure that I don't leave this special place while wishing about the things I could have done while I was there.
With graduation just around the corner, I know that I can't afford to let time waste, because time will fly by just like that. I owe it not only to myself, but my loved ones at Oberlin, to embrace everything, because like myself, they will be entering new life journeys after the end of this semester. Why not use this last semester to cherish them while we are all still together? After all, I have always stated that the best aspect of Oberlin is the people that I have met during my time there. The people I met there is what allowed me to transform into the person that I am today, and I will forever be grateful for them. I'm looking forward to expressing my gratitude toward them while we're still around each other on a daily basis. Cherish your loved ones while you still have access to them, because life is too valuable to let any moment go to waste. Let's make this semester a great one.
