Remember: Breathe
August 3, 2010
Well, it’s almost that time of year again: back to school — at least for those who haven’t spent their summer in one of Kent State’s classrooms.
For the college set, the end of summer typically means receiving a tuition bill in the mail courtesy of the bursar’s office (one that’s up 3.5 percent from last year). It often means moving in and out of apartments, dorms and houses. It means breaking a summer routine in favor of fall’s academic one. It means newly minted college students will make the leap from high school to higher education. And for some of us, it means graduating from the last four years of our lives into the “official” ranks of adulthood.
Whatever your situation, these last few weeks of summer are typically a stressful time for students. While college is all about moving from one phase to the next, this time of year can be especially difficult for some. Everything is in a state of transition, both for the best and, sometimes, the not-so best.
And let’s not forget this isn’t a particularly easy time to be in college. Steep state budget cuts will surely keep tuition on the rise for years to come. Unemployment figures are at 9.5 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (and job prospects for those between the ages of 18 to 25 are far worse, on average). So as many gear up to head back to the classroom, they may be questioning if this pricey education is worthwhile. Others, meanwhile, are flocking back to college as a refuge from the sluggish job market.
But it is easy to forget while your packing up your apartment, agonizing over tuition or cramming in a few extra hours of overtime at work that summer is coming to an end. Before September’s frenzied schedule, students should take a moment for themselves in these final weeks of summer. Slow down. Enjoy the weather. Spend time with friends.
Because when everything feels as though it is in a state of free fall, it’s easy to overlook the little moments. And it’s easy to let your day-to-day grind get to you.
Instead, let this be the time of year that you put things into perspective. If all else fails, maybe read the Summer Kent Stater by the pool.
The above is a consensus of the Summer Kent Stater editorial board.