End of Semester Thoughts

As I sit in the library, having edited my last final paper of the semester, delaying submitting it to my professor because that always feels so conclusive, I have time to reflect on the semester. I'll give you a tidbit from each of my classes that you can maybe use to impress your friends.

The Political Wisdom of Homer
This was one of my favorite classes. It falls under political philosophy if we're categorizing it. We asked questions like "Do you deserve a good grade if you study? Is it unjust if you get a bad grade?" and "Does Odysseus even want to go home to Ithaca? Is Odysseus selfish?" You can learn a lot about human nature by looking at what people tell themselves, i.e. that the gods protect them if they sacrifice to them, etc. The final paper I wrote for this course talked about the gods and nature, and how Homer showed the power of nature, but called it an act of the gods, to get his audience accustomed to accepting that nature is more powerful than the gods. Don't steal my idea.

Interesting tidbit: The first recorded instance of the word "nature" appears in The Odyssey. And Penelope is badass.

Senior Seminar in English
This class was with one of my favorite professors, and everyone in the class was a senior English major, so the class discussion was really great. We went over a bunch of the classics, which are important, because everything stems from them. I wrote my final paper on governesses and mental illness in English nineteenth century literature, using Jane Eyre and "The Turn of the Screw" as the works that I focused on. Really interesting stuff there.

Interesting tidbit: Charlotte Bronte was a governess! And former governesses made up the majority of patients in insane asylums at that time. So pay your babysitter well.

My other two classes were Writing the TV Pilot and Intro Computer Music. Both were very interesting and a lot of fun to be in, but the creative aspects are more difficult to summarize here. But I learned a lot of good skills! I hope to employ them in the future. Go creativity!

Beat the Blues

With finals coming up for a lot of us college students, I thought I'd post a few things that help me feel a little brighter when I'm gloomy. We all tend to be hard on ourselves, and we have to remember to be kind to ourselves, as well as others. A little self-care can go a long way. (Sorry for being cheesy) So, here are my tips for little pick-me-ups:

1. Reach out--Talking can be so helpful. Sharing your struggles and opening up can help you feel closer to whomever you're sharing with, and even open up new avenues of support. You may find they're going through something similar, or that they're willing to help. Saying what you're struggling with out loud can also make it feel more manageable, at least for me.
2. Be nice!--Not that you're mean. Make a conscious effort to compliment someone, hold open the door for the person behind you, make your friend a card, send a funny picture to someone you haven't talked to in a while, ask someone how their day is going. Making someone else feel good will make you feel good. It's selfish, really. 
3. Exercise--I'm not saying you need to go lift, get "swole," or run a marathon.  Go for a light jog, stretch, do some jumping jacks. Just get your blood moving. I've been loving yoga recently. After class, I feel like my insides are warm jelly and I could fall asleep at any time, I'm so content. Getting workout clothes on and getting out the door are half the battle. 
4. Watch a show--This isn't always the best thing, but it helps me feel like I have time in my day to do things that I want to do, instead of have to do. I've been watching "Jane the Virgin" on Netflix and it's a great show. Very ridiculous and self-aware. If you're into more serious stuff "Sherlock" on Netflix is also a great choice. And you'll feel fancy listening to British accents. 
5. Drink a cup of tea--You'll feel all warm inside. And you can Instagram it so you look meditative and artsy. 
6. Color--I just got "Secret Garden" by Johanna Basford and it's gorgeous. It's a coloring book for adults and the drawing you get to color in are so beautiful you can't mess it up, which is always my biggest concern. Picking colors, shading, and seeing your progress on my coloring are all therapeutic for me. My sister got one of her the Basford coloring books, too, and I think I like hers better than mine, so make sure you research all your options. 
7. Give yourself a break--Literally and figuratively. Take a couple minutes away from your work to go on a walk or check Buzzfeed. If you mess up, give yourself a break. Happens to the best of us. If I'm feeling stressed out, it helps me to ask if what I'm upset about will matter in a year. And it usually won't. 

Those are just a few things, but I hope they help!