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Dear Birdie: Humanity in the Hecticness of Fall

Written by Birdie, Graphic by Ana Vergara

Welcome back to “Dear Birdie,” a column where I do my best to offer guidance and some humor in response to questions from our college community! Throughout the column, I hope to help answer questions about anything and everything – from class troubles to relationship advice, movie recommendations and more. This column is anonymous on both ends so that you all can have a comfortable outlet for conversation.

This week, we will talk about starting fall quarter and how to stay sane:

“Dear Birdie, how do I stay a normal human being while my schedule is strange this quarter?”

Fall quarter always seems the most hectic and rightfully so. It’s jarring to come back to school after months of summer and settle into a whole new routine. Even as I enter my senior year, fall brings a certain air of change – new classes, new roommates, new jobs, new perspectives. Adjusting to this fresh schedule and way of life can take a lot of time, and the effort put in tends to be draining. There are a couple of different ways I would recommend combating this to feel “normal” and content:

Incorporate routine habits into your schedule. For example, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I go on walks in the morning and make phone calls to my family back home. It’s a great way to start the day off and by the time I’m back, I already have a sense of accomplishment. This habit can take many forms: reading before bed, weekly lunch with a friend or meditating when you wake up.

While having a set routine is an important factor in getting that “strange” schedule on track, being open to spontaneous activities is refreshing and pulls you into something new. A change in routine can be as simple as taking a different route back from class or trying a new drink instead of your regular order. The next time your friend asks if you want to get some late-night ice cream or take a day trip with them, think about saying yes. Regardless of the scale, a little switch-up spices up the day and helps you feel not only normal but also fulfilled.

That’s enough chirping from me for today!