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Solitude and reflection necessary in college

By Samantha Peer columnist 3 min read
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Can someone please tell me where this semester went?

We have one more day of classes, then finals. That is unfathomable to me, but also understandable. After all, we are college students, and though the majority of us are not parents and do not have full-time jobs, we are busy. We juggle classes, jobs, extra-curricular activities, friendships and relationships.

We navigate the unfamiliar waters of conducting research, crafting resumes and making tough life decisions, often all in one day, so in reality it is no real surprise that this semester came and went in the blink of an eye. Our demanding workloads require us to remain alert and to exert ourselves each and every day. However, winter break is fast approaching and will offer us a chance to change gears. Because life is busy, work is plenty and breaks are short, slowing down seems like a sin to students who always push themselves to learn more, achieve more and be more.

However, winter break is the opportune moment to do precisely that. You have three weeks without assignments or meetings, giving you the perfect excuse to catch your breath. Now I am not recommending that you spend the entire duration of break binging on Netflix. I am simply suggesting that you take the time off to spend some time with yourself, reflecting upon the semester that has just come to a close.

College is such an exciting time in life. It is the time that we should step out of our comfort zone, find our passions and learn more about ourselves.  

However, in the excitement of the college atmosphere, it is hard to find a place or time to be alone with yourself to meditate upon where your life is heading and reflect upon the experiences you have had. If you are anything like me, the words “meditate” and “reflect” provoke images of hippies or yoga instructors. However, I am not talking about deep breathing exercises or downward dog poses; I am talking about taking time to think about the classes you took, the friendships you formed, the extra-curricular activities that you got involved in.

I am suggesting that you take time to think about what you excelled in this semester and what you did poorly in; that you think about the experiences that you had that you really enjoyed and that you mentally process what you would like to do differently next semester. Wrestling with these questions is essential not only to your success, but also your over all well being. College keeps us going and going without the opportunity to question if we are heading in the right direction.

However, it is important to evaluate your decisions, as they are not irreversible.

As mentioned earlier,

our twenties are the most appropriate time to essentially figure ourselves out, and just like in conducting experiments, this process is often one of trial and error. Therefore, do not be afraid to change route if you feel that you no longer want to embark on the road that lies before. To put it into layman’s terms, I am simply advising that in-between catching up on sleep and spending time with family and friends over winter break that you spend sometime with yourself, reflecting upon your semester. Though Jesus led an exciting life ministering to God’s people and performing miracles, he also spent a lot of time alone, praying and reflecting, always preparing the hard road that lay ahead.

Our time in college is full of difficult decisions, so perhaps some reflection time is long over-due.

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