When it feels like schoolwork is getting stressful and other parts of life are exhausting, it’s important to hold to the little things that can be exciting, even if it’s just for a minute. There are some things that always gets me a little excited in the middle of the day and cheer me up when I feel burdened by hours of readings. Here are some of my little joys:
Getting an email from the post office: Whenever I get an email from the post office telling me my package has arrived, it gets me super excited to go pick it up and see whatever it is that I bought. I will take the time either before class or after class to grab it and hopefully bring it back to my room to gleam at my new purchase—even if it’s a textbook or a toothbrush head refill. It makes me feel like I am getting a present and it’s a good chance for me to take a little bit of time out of my day to do something that’s not work.
The first sip of an iced coffee from Sci Coffee Bar: I’m not coffee obsessed, but on a day where I really need an extra boost of energy when I know I’ll have a long study session ahead, the iced coffee from Sci really hits the spot. No offense to the Kohlberg coffee bar, but the coffee is just superior at Sci. I take my iced coffee with ¾ cup of ice, a conservative splash of soymilk (prefer oat, but we don’t have that at our coffee bar), and a packet of sugar. What’s nice is that you can always treat a mundane trip to the Science Coffee Bar as a little pleasure you make for yourself.
Smelling the flowers as I turn a corner: Swarthmore’s campus is absolutely gorgeous in the Spring. All the flowers are in full bloom, and certain corners of campus smell beautiful as I walk by. It might just last a couple seconds, but I savor that sensory experience for the rest of the day and it always makes my day a little better.
Checking the Sharples menu and seeing something I like: Every Monday, I check the weekly Sharples menu and see if there’s a bar I really like. Usually there would be at least one meal I look forward to during the week. When that day comes, I get really excited for my meal and it’s something to get me through the day. My favorite bar at Sharples is definitely Pho bar—it’s not like what I would get at a Vietnamese restaurant back in Brooklyn, but having warm noodle soup just makes me so happy.
Petting a dog: Since the campus is open to visitors, many residents of the Ville will often walk their dogs on campus, especially when the weather is nice. There’s always the opportunity to pet a good dog if you’re looking to. Besides the 4-legged visitors from the Ville, you can also find dogs in the Admission Office because their humans sometimes bring them to work.
