By Liv Barry
Lifestyle Editor
There is no better time to rejuvenate your routine than the start of the semester.
With a fresh class schedule comes the chance to look at campus with new eyes. What opportunities did you miss out on last semester? Or, conversely, what habits inhibited you from living your best life?
While resolutions often fail, creating unrealistic expectations for success, evaluating what you hated and what you loved about the previous semester can help make a framework for you to thrive.
After taking a moment to reflect over winter break, here is what Lifestyle Editor Liv Barry believes is in and out for the spring semester to give you inspiration for your own semester refresh.
Out: The Canvas app
Although academics are integral to the college experience, having constant access to your grades is not healthy for your mental well-being. No matter how academically rigorous your path is, there is no reason to be checking your grades while you are eating lunch.
Time management is often praised as one of the most important skills for college students to have, but perpetual awareness of your academic progress only hinders the work-life balance that is vital to time management.
Deleting the Canvas app off of your phone and limiting your use to web browser or laptop-only helps calm the stress that surrounds school.
In: Supporting Chestertown businesses
Between high prices, odd hours, and stores catered more towards retirees and longtime residents, shopping in town does not always feel like a welcoming experience for students.
However, beyond Twigs and Teacups, Stam’s Luncheonette, and Evergrain, there are a number of businesses waiting to be found by students.
The Chestertown Farmers Market, held every Saturday from 8 until noon, has affordable vendors that sell everything from baked goods to fresh fruit, which are hard to come by in the dining hall.
While not a traditional store, the Garfield Center for the Arts hosts regular performances open to all, with tickets starting at ten dollars. Who said that being a patron of the arts has to be expensive?
Flagship Cinemas, a regional movie theater chain, offers regular discounts on tickets and concessions, as well as a loyalty program for those looking for further sales.
By expanding your perception of local businesses, you can save yourself the gas money before making the trek to Easton or Middletown.
Out: Asking “What’s the move?” on YikYak
Like clockwork, some variation of this message is posted on YikYak every weekend, only to be met with enough downvotes for the post to get deleted or comments giving out false addresses.
At this point, who is not tired of this question? What do the posters get out of it?
In a small town with limited nightlife, you have to learn how to make your own fun. Instead of asking what the move is or who is throwing a party, get a group of friends together and have your own party. If all else fails, just walk around campus and you might run into something. Just stop posting about it.
In: Dressing up for class
If you are pursuing a standard nine to five job, college is the one chance you have to dress however you want without receiving a dress code violation.
Many students take advantage of this by maximizing their comfort in athleisure or sweatpants, but it does not hurt to mix up your outfits once in a while.
Dressing outside of the box is not a sin. Before you get worked up — plenty of students already do this without being judged, so if that is what is holding you back, feel free to get a little wild with what you wear.
While this advice is obviously not applicable to every situation, like presentation days or labs, it would be a loss to not explore beyond your comfort zone while you can.
While these changes will not irrevocably alter your life, by mixing up your habits, you can start the semester off on a good foot.
Elm Archive Photo
Photo caption: The Chestertown Farmers Market offers an array of affordable, locally harvested foods, as well as clothing, jewelry, and flowers.