Life is full of guilty pleasures. Watching a marathon of America’s Next Top Model, becoming a follower of the vacuous yet utterly fabulous Gossip Girl, or succumbing to temptation (chocolates, infatuations, alcohol, you name it) are just of the ways we spice up life. Often times, however, we lose control and those guilty pleasures turn toxic. What started out as a harmless stress reliever, a meaningless conversation or as a simple night out can rapidly turn our worlds upside down. As college students, we are constantly under pressure. You’d think that after getting into one of the top schools of the country, we would be able to relax and enjoy being 20 years old. But, test scores, grades, internships and job offers set the bar extremely high, forcing us to work our lives away once again.
In the midst of midterms, we want to remind you to be healthy. And we don’t just mean eat organically, exercise an sleep well — the same speech we’ve all gotten from Health Services, in pamphlets or from our parents. Perhaps what lacks most in our lives is balance.Our hectic lives seem to hinder us from knowing when to stop working, when to relax, when to stop drinking or eating, or, more importantly, when to say no. That is why some guilty pleasures end up becoming pure guilt. We recklessly abuse them until we are so far from where we started that we can’t undo what we started.
So, we are inviting you to take care of yourselves. Stay away from alcohol if, lately, you have had one too many hangovers. Stay away from the Betty Crocker aisle, if you tend to overeat when stressed. Sleep if this will help you find peace, or pull an all nighter and get your work done once and for all. Remember, that class that’s killing you is… just a class. And in ten years it will be as irrelevant as what clothes you wore to last Saturday’s party.
When it comes to relationships, finding the right balance is tougher. And we don’t have the magic formula. All we have are our past experiences and good friends who can coach us through life. In this case, the one advice we can give you is to learn your limits. Know when enough is enough, learn to say “no” even if it ruins the moment, and trust yourself. We all make colossal mistakes. After all, we are young, and we are just learning how to live our lives.
Our newest star, Miriam Furst, kicks off her HC career with two articles this week. She first explores the Planned Parenthood commotion and tells us of the many services it offers. Yes, this includes abortion. But it is also a place that helps both men and women stay healthy. Her second article is on her internship at Shape Magazine, where she got a taste of the real world. Wittily written, her piece shows us what we might encounter during the summer. And lastly, we have chosen Dan Kelley as this week’s Campus Cutie. You can’t help but love him. And now let the countdown begin! A week from today, we will all be resting somewhere far, far away from Thayer Street.
HC Love,
Luisa & Haruka