We are one month into school and we are all dragging. Between papers, homework, and the dread of midterms, we are all feeling the weight of our textbooks. To top that off, we over commit ourselves to extra curricular activities, hanging out with friends, and internships.
But have no fear, Pope Francis is here!
Just kidding, but the anniversary of his visit to SJU is fast approaching (September 26-27), and we thought you could use a few of his words of wisdom to push you through the rest of this semester and school year.
“Keep an open mind.”
We all have our own opinions, and sometimes others have an easier time expressing theirs than others. Not only is it healthy, but it helps teach people different points of view. According to Pope Francis, you should try not to get “bogged down in your own limited ideas and opinions, but be prepared to change or expand them.” College is a sea of different points of views, and keeping an open mind is a great way to become more educated.
“Live and let live.”
Pope Francis believes everyone should be guided by this principle, which he said has a similar expression in Rome with the saying, “Move forward and let others do the same.” In college, there are many ups and downs. Whether it be stress, a bad grade, or not handing in an assignment, it is important to move on and not let it affect the rest of your semester. It is inevitable that you will fail a test once or forget to hand in an assignment, but one slip up will not define your whole college career.
“Walk calmly.”
We have all experienced those weeks where we feel like our heads are about to fall off with all of the homework assignments, tests, and projects. Pope Francis wants us to remember that in the ever-increasing world of chaos and busyness, we all need to proceed calmly. Take a deep breath, go for a walk, or watch a movie, but just remember to not let the stress get to you. The key is time management and to take it one step at a time.
“Compromise, compromise, compromise.”
If you haven’t experienced roommate problems, you are LUCKY! College is the place where you meet your lifelong friends, but it is also where you meet roommates who don’t clean up after themselves and take up more than half of the closet space. But don’t worry, Pope Francis has advice on how to handle roommates who seem to do everything in spite of you. He says that “negotiation is an exercise of mutual love, an interplay of give and take, for the good of the family.” Negotiation and compromise will be the key when it comes to a tough roommate. Just try to keep in mind that it is only for one year, and you can always crash at your friend’s place.
“Enjoy leisure.”
College may be the time for cramming as much information in your head as possible, but it is also a time to explore a new city and make lasting memories with your friends. Even Pope Francis knows that it’s important to work hard but play even harder. He states how non-stop schedules have brought the world anxiety and stress, causing people to lose a “healthy culture of leisure.” Everyone’s time is swallowed up with to-do lists and goals. Finding time to relax, having fun, and hanging out with friends is an essential part of a happy and healthy state of being. Be sure to enjoy some laughs and leisure time in between all of the papers.
Lastly, as the wise Pope Francis states, “Sunday is for family.” While us college students would love this to be true every Sunday, we all know that Sundays are really reserved for cramming for tests and procrastinating homework until midnight. Maybe leave your dorm room or the library and find some inspiration from the closest thing we have to Pope Francis himself on campus: our statue blessed by him 2 years ago.
So, to all of our fellow students at a Jesuit university, good luck with the remaining semester and may you have a ~blessed~ year.
