Q: What are some good ways to relieve stress from school?
A: If you’re stressed and need a break from school—take a deep breath, relax and step back. You will finish your assignments, you will have time to spend with your friends, you will read, you will write, you will learn and you will teach others. This is just one small moment of your life that may seem stressful and difficult, but eventually you won’t even remember how stressed you were about that one paper or test.
Great ways to relieve this stress—or taking a step back from school— are to spend time with people who care about you, pet the 4Paws dogs on campus, hammock in the Hollow, play disc golf, go on a walk, go on a bike ride, listen to your favorite songs, read a pleasure book, go out to eat or head off campus to clear your head for a bit. If you do need to get off campus, try out Buck Creek or Snyder Park. Once you finish your break, you can go back to your assignments with a clear head.
Q: What do you do to not destroy the roommate that you can’t really stand?
A: Living with anyone can be difficult, whether it be one person or multiple people. The best way to not destroy the roommate you don’t get along with is to set personal boundaries between the two of you. Communication is key, so you need to know what they like and dislike, and what makes them comfortable and uncomfortable. They need to know the same about you. This will allow you to be respectful of each other. If you can’t stand them, create a more civil living situation.
If this doesn’t work and one or both of you are crossing boundaries or pushing each other’s buttons, then sit down together and reevaluate these boundaries. Or, maybe the best thing is to just ignore each other and keep to yourself in you home.
Another option is to not spend much time at home—especially if the situation is upsetting to you. If you really cannot stand it, keep yourself occupied elsewhere—maybe an academic building, a friend’s house, a club, etc. Any or all or these will keep you busy and out of your house for a while, and when you do go home, you can just eat, shower and sleep.
Find a balance in your living situation and if you really cannot stand this person, you only have one month left living with them. Stay friendly and civil; you can do it.
*Ask Ali is an advice column where students can submit questions to The Torch—all questions will be kept anonymous. To submit questions e-mail pauleya@wittenberg.edu with the subject line: Ask Ali a Question.*
