Being that this is my last semester at the University of Michigan as an undergraduate, many feel that I have reached a major milestone in my life and that I should be proud of the journey into "adulthood" that I am soon to embody; this is the scary part. As the days come closer to walking across that stage and deciding what to do afterwards has become more and more frightening. My heart pulls me into many different directions as it longs for satisfaction, passion, love and fulfillment; the struggle of today's emerging adults.
COPING AT ITS FINEST
Though living the life of a college student often brings a lot of stressful situations like studying for exams, time management, finances, future career path or even deciding what you are going to wear the next day, I would not have it any other way. I quickly learned that sometimes we find ourselves in undesired and stressful environments that seem never ending, but our ability and willingness to cope with them allows optimism to flourish even when it is not hitting you over the head. I also made a huge move from a really small town in Arkansas to a relatively huge community in Michigan to pursue my education at the University of Michigan. I was willing to leave my friends I had made over several years, my teachers who played a huge part in my educational career, and ultimately many of my family members who I looked up to; my support system. Coming from a small town in Arkansas, I was certainly use to a level of privacy even outside of the home which provided an environment of non judgment, peace and allowed for constant self reflection when needed. It even aided me in the sense that I became more socially aware of my surrounding and that I knew I wanted more than what that small town could offer me; I found it in Michigan.
I would say coming to a public university in a state of unfamiliar places and people made me more nervous about my overall success at the university. I feared that I would be all alone and would lose my social life that I once had. It was not until I was introduced to the dorm life that really struggled with controlling my emotional state because I did not want it to be a bad experience nor did I want to pile stress of living situations on top of the stresses of my transition into the college life and moving from another whole state to be in Michigan. I moved into West Quad my freshman year and actually most a lot of cool supportive individuals who were also from out of state and found the transition a little rough; I was not allow. I share the image below because that was a place that I other went to when the class schedules and curriculum would get the get the best of me at times. I would either go with a close friend or simply go by myself and lay in the grass and look up at the sky or even listen or feel for the cool breeze. That was my home away from home. I actually spent more in that area than even in my dorm room to be honest because it was not a loud area and I never had a problem clearing my head when I needed it the most. It provided a semi public but also a semi private element which really allowed me to open up more about the importance of setting aside some personal time and that life has no choice back to wait for you; you gain a sense of responsibility of ones well being throughout these many life transitions.
Even though I am still not fully sure about what life has in store for me and I get unnecessary stress behind it (internal source), I have been a allowed and even discovered many ways in dealing with certain unpleasant situations like balancing both my focus between things needed to be done to finish school on a positive note and things that serve as distractions which hinder you from achieving that academic success. The fact that I open myself to new opportunities that can be restorative to the mind and body are through the realization (recognition) that there is a problem to begin with which is hard for most to realize because they are so use to living life in a systematic way; the American way. I would say encountering these seemingly chronic stressors throughout my undergraduate career have done more good than bad because I am now equipped with many intervention practices to counter the diminishing effects of stress and enhances my predictability for the real and perceived stress; I am ready for this journey of the unknowing.
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