Dear Abe, why does being successful at Centre come at the cost of my mental health?
It doesn’t have to! There are plenty of resources available to Centre students to help them cope with difficult classes and busy schedules. My first, and strongest, recommendation is to contact the Centre Learning Commons, specifically Dr. Brian Cusato or Ms. Karen Tubb. You can reach them via Navigate, that app that everyone forgets exists, or you can send them an email and they will help you schedule a visit. That way you can get more personalized suggestions regarding time management here at Centre. Additionally, if you are actually suffering from mental health problems PLEASE reach out to Centre counseling services, which is a free resource for all students that can help you manage mental health problems. I am unfortunately a statue and am not a licensed counselor, but there are a couple other pieces of advice I can give.
First off, learn to say no. Often students are struggling to balance their schedules and time because of the quantity of extracurriculars they are involved in. At a certain point education does need to take priority over other activities, although this can be a trap. Second, plan your time wisely. Although a five hour study session might seem like it will prepare you for the big exam, it won’t. The information will be gone by the next week when all of the exam knowledge is now an assumed basis for the rest of the course. Taking measured and controlled breaks helps.
At the end of the day, though, this question is incredibly dependent on your context: maybe you are trying to juggle sports and classes, maybe you are just carrying an absolutely killer course load. Either way, talk to and engage with Centre’s resources, you are paying for them after all.
Dear Abe, how do I cope with Centre’s nonexistent weekend culture?
Thank you for asking! This question has come up many times at this school and there are a few different resources I would recommend. First off, get involved in clubs and organizations! There are many clubs which host Saturday or Sunday activities. Examples include Outdoors Club, which often hosts Saturday hikes, the International Student Association, one of the most active and involved clubs on campus, or even Chess club, which meets on Sunday afternoons. In addition to these clubs which might have more regular weekend activities, there are many clubs which host occasional events such as German club’s Oktoberfest which occurred on September 28th. Club meetings can also be opportunities to reach outside of your comfort zone and meet students who you otherwise wouldn’t get to know.
In addition to activities hosted by clubs, there are many different goings-on in the town of Danville on the weekends. The Boyle County Farmer’s Market can be found in Constitution Square every Saturday morning until October 26th. Danville County Public library also offers a range of events from Book Clubs to Jigsaw puzzles for those without other things to do. If these aren’t your speed, you could always check out the Centre Engage website, accessed through the CentreNet launchpad. This will list upcoming volunteer opportunities, many of which occur on weekends. Use your free time to help someone else!
At the end of the day, the best fix for weekend boredom is going to be some form of community. Whether it be a community created by a club, local organization or service, the best way to stay entertained is to connect to others. Or, if all else fails, you can always stare at the library with me, I promise it’s a riveting experience.
Quick Questions & Answers:
Why?
Because
What’s it like staring at the library all day?
Boring. There is a reason I am writing a newspaper column.