Imagine this: you walk out of a Week 10 “midterm” (Really, professor? Week 10?) and head to the library to prepare for tomorrow’s presentation. When you get there, the person in front of you doesn’t look and you get a door shut in your face. You hit up the café for some much needed coffee and feel hurried by the barista. Suddenly, you’re not only exhausted, but annoyed and frustrated, too.
At finals time, it’s easy to feel like we are the most important people in the world, and that only our problems matter. Well, sorry not sorry to burst your bubble, SCU.
We are ALL in the same boat. Everyone is busy, stressed, and under-rested. While some of these stresses will only disappear after a three-hour exam, here’s a quick list of ways you can show kindness to your fellow Broncos and help make this last week more bearable for everyone.
1. Hold the door. Generally, I think our campus has got this down; but at this time of year it’s important to keep the basic courtesies alive. Yes, you may need to dash into the library to print that paper you should have printed the night before, but that doesn’t mean you forget the person behind you. If it were a good friend walking in after you, you wouldn’t hesitate to spare a few seconds holding the door.
2. Pay for someone else’s printing. We all know what it’s like to scroll through a dozen documents before finding our own. Why not pay for one of those? Imagine how you’d feel if you went to print your twenty pages of reading, only to find it already printed and waiting for you. Pretty nice, right? So if you’ve got a few extra bucks of printing money (or over $400, as I saw once with a girl in front of me), pick a document at random, print it out, and leave it for the person to claim – just be sure to put it somewhere obvious, otherwise the person will get frustrated about having to print it again. That’d just defeat the purpose.
3. Share some compliments. The other day, a high school buddy texted me out of the blue to tell me I was a good friend. At the time, I was up to my ears in stress about a group presentation, and I was struck by their kind words – that text made my day.
Giving a compliment is so quick and easy that I challenge each of you to give it a try. Post a kind note on your friend’s Facebook wall. Shoot a classmate an encouraging text. Revisit the SCU Compliments page and go crazy (but stay sincere!). It just takes a few minutes of your time, and that’s more than enough to make a difference.
4. Be patient. This goes for everybody, but I want to specifically mention café workers and – yes – even professors. Whether it’s Lucas, Mission Bakery, or Sunstream, the good people behind the counter are probably just as under-rested and overworked as you are. Same goes for professors – their inboxes are exploding with emails (probably asking questions you should know the answers to) and their office hours packed with students.
In short, cut them some slack. Be friendly and efficient when ordering your late-night caffeine fix. Say please. Say thank you. When your professor helps you out, take the time to express your appreciation. Be that one student who stands out for being extra considerate. Trust me – it matters, and they do notice.
5. Pull your own weight – and them some. Your roommate has been holed up in the dorm for two days straight studying for her organic chemistry final. The last thing she needs is you giving her not-so-subtle reminders that it’s time to vacuum, take out recycling, or what have you.
Maybe your finals aren’t until late in the week, or your toughest one is over on Monday. Do your household, apartment, or suite a kindness – pull your own weight, and then go above and beyond. Do the dishes even if it’s not your turn. Take out the trash, even though you’re sure you did it last time. Offer to get your friends a snack from the Cellar, or even dinner from Benson. Yes, you do have the time and no, it’s not too much to ask.
During his visit, the Dalai Lama reminded us that, “We are equipped with the seed of compassion.” Those aren’t just words – they are a call to action. We’re all in the same boat, SCU, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do our part to help it sail a little smoother.
So turn up the kindness, SCU, and good luck on finals!
Photo Sources: randomactsofkindness.org, hercampus.com