As semester ends, friends are important
April 21, 2008

Jessica Lulf
Crusader Staff

As we wind things down for the semester, there seems to be 1,400 things that we all need to do before we pack up our stuff for summer.
Your list could have items on it ranging from finding your dorm room just in time to scrub it clean, to making sure your relatives can find Liberal so they can watch you graduate, to frantically putting the finishing touches on your final assignments.
In the case of the Crusader staff, this could mean that we are recuperating after turning in assignments at the very last minute. (Or, staff members, you may be sleeping in after staying up until the wee hours of the morning.)
Before we all head off in our separate directions for the summer, or to other schools, we might want to consider the image of ourselves that we are leaving with others.
Do you constantly talk about how “stressed out” you are? You might want to stop and evaluate why you are constantly freaking out. There is probably someone near you who has a lot more to squeeze into his or her schedule. (Commonly, those who are always talking about what they have to do, really do not have it as bad as they think they have it.)
As the semester winds down and you are looking for ways to get through, one thing that you might want to do is to reduce the drama that you have in your life. All that this tends to do is to add everything that you have to do. Any additions that you make will definitely make you feel less likely to deal with things.
If you are presented the opportunity to go on any kind of trip, I would highly recommend it, even if it is just a trip to come back to get all the stuff that you could not fit into your car on your first trip home. These trips will help you to grow closer to your classmates and your friends. Even if you think that you know someone pretty well, you can always learn something new.
These relationships could end up meaning more than you ever thought. You could end up with a lifetime friend. Or someone who is willing to tell you the truth about a college you are considering attending. At the bare minimum, you will have taken a trip that you will remember for years to come.
The most important thing to consider as we finish out the year is each other. Everyone has a lot going on and should be given a little more room than normal. This includes yourself; you should set time aside everyday to collect your thoughts and to keep yourself from falling to pieces.