Ladies, finals week is stressful. Whether it’s your first finals week or your last, there’s nothing fun and carefree about taking six huge tests in three days. Everyone is tired, stressed, and definitely doesn’t feel their best, so I figured I would try to help out by giving compliments to people I knew, and people I didn’t know. I complimented people for a week, and this is what happened!
Day 1
Honestly, I was extremely shy on the first day. I don’t normally go out of my way to talk to strangers, let alone give them compliments. I’m always so worried about what other people will think, and how they’ll react, so I usually keep it to myself. I felt really weird about just going up to people I didn’t know, so I started with people I already knew. My friends, girls on my floor, people I sit next to in class, that sort of thing. You’ve got to start somewhere, right? Overall, day one was pretty uneventful. I left cute notes on the doors of girls down the hall from me, I told my best friend she looked cute, and I complimented some people’s outfits or hairstyles. All in all, it wasn’t the best day, but it also wasn’t a total crash and burn.
Day 2
Day two passed sort of like the first. I still felt weird about going out of my comfort zone and talking to strangers, so I kept it small scale. Baby steps, people. I gave some people from day one compliments again, like my best friend, but I also tried to branch out a little bit. I complimented people I’ve met but haven’t really gotten to know, and I tried to be more conscious about complimenting strangers. After all, my friends aren’t the only ones that looked cute or needed a boost during finals. Everyone could use a compliment or encouragement.
Day 3
Day three was definitely more eventful. I decided to embrace the awkwardness and committed to complimenting actual strangers. I complimented outfits, hair, study habits, bookbags, everything. Some people were SO surprised to get a compliment from a stranger, and others were so supportive and gave one back to me! Day three was so nice. It was a little scary to get out of my comfort zone, and I was definitely anxious that people wouldn’t want the compliments I was giving, but it was also fun at the same time.
Day 4
Okay, I won’t lie. I really slacked on day 4. I had two exams, one at 8 a.m. and one at 6:30p.m., so I didn’t do much socializing. When I wasn’t in an exam, I was napping in my room or preparing for the other exam, and there weren’t really that many opportunities for me to compliment strangers. I gave some small compliments and encouragements to my roommate as she left to take her exam, but that was really it. It was kind of just another uneventful day.
Day 5
On day five I finally realized that I could text my far-away friends compliments to perk up their finals week too! I don’t know why it took me five days to realize it, but I started texting them anyways. It was so fun to be able to give my friends a pick-me-up even though we all go to different schools, and it gave me a great way to remind them I love and care for them! I also made an effort to get out more instead of staying cooped up in my room studying all day so I would have a better opportunity to compliment people. I met up with some friends to study in common areas, and that was a great way to meet some people and study at the same time! Overall, it was a great close to a week that helped me just as much as it helped everyone else.
Honestly, I felt so good after complimenting so many people. A lot of people were surprised to receive a compliment during such a stressful time in the semester, and some people even complimented me back! As nice as it was to give compliments, I definitely didn’t expect anyone to compliment me back, so it was just an extra little perk that made the experience wonderful. There was so much happiness and love being spread, and it definitely made my finals week a little brighter. This was such a fun experience for me. It got me out of my comfort zone and it got me more comfortable with talking to strangers. I’ll definitely be more confident in complimenting people in the future, and I can’t wait to spread some more love!
Ladies, it feels just as good to give a compliment as it does to get one, so don’t be afraid to compliment someone when you feel like it! Everyone could use a little extra love, especially during finals week!