“I have a theory that, when you get back, you eventually crack.” These wise words came from of a friend of mine, on February 1st, mid-second week of “spring” semester. According to many Bowdoin students, this is one of the toughest times of the year. The residual glow of winter break has dimmed and the campus is cast in a palette ranging from light gray to dark gray.
In our Her Campus meeting last weekend, another staff member—off campus first semester—suggested that I interview members of the junior class to find out about the transition from the legendary land of “Abroad” back to Bowdoin. I thought about it, but decided against following through with the idea. I choose not to because, after reflecting on my own experiences as a seasoned Bowdoin veteran, I realized that the transition back to school is always turbulent. In any case, coming back to Bowdoin after considerable time away provides a swift kick to the system, unrivaled by most traumatic transitions.
Bowdoin, especially during the winter (December-May), can be a hard place to call home. Impossible to ignore the bad weather and increasingly bad attitudes, it’s hard to say—honestly, at least—“I’m happy to be back.” Still, there is a lot to look forward to about second semester and, despite the bone-chilling temps, Brunswick can still be a fun and friendly place. Bowdoin is a small school and, in the midst of sprawling tundra and a campus-wide SAD epidemic, the experience here can easily be likened to a television-worthy crossbreed between “Battle of the Exes” and “Man Vs Wild.” In the midst of this tension-filled (and sometimes rugged) drama, you’re bound to lose your cool at some point. If you need some space and time to yourself, it’s okay to tell your friends (nicely, of course) that they need to leave you alone. If you need to get off campus, go for it; and, as former Campus Cutie, Mason Moss, California-coolly advises: “When you’re itching to go surfing, the only lotion is the ocean.”
Photo Credit:
http://static.flickr.com/120/314038590_df48660062.jpg