Everyone’s had a dragged-out Sunday at College Library. A stack of empty paper coffee cups. Bags of sour gummy worms forming a pile. A mountain of unfinished work. I often find myself stuck in this all-too familiar scene until the walls blend into the floor and my reading comprehension abilities are put into question. When I finally make my escape, it is not without a pledge that Helen and I will meet again next Sunday to repeat the same mundane production.
I find it more and more difficult to drag myself out of bed on Sunday mornings knowing this is my fate. My eyes glaze over at the very thought of sitting at the same table and shuffling through yet another stack of indigestible textbooks. I can see my arthritis in-the-making from scribbling notes in the margins of the 9 billion pages of text I read on a daily basis. The issue is that each day that I spend with Helen, I find myself becoming increasingly less productive when it comes to schoolwork or studying.
Not only do students struggle with the issue of productivity, but they are often stressed too. And tired. And sometimes we have a lot of homework. And every once in a while we even forget to bring our computer chargers to the library.
Hang on. I’m kidding. I am not writing an article about how sleepy and stressed and technologically dependent we are, because we all know those stories. They’ve been told a million times, and we are all sick of the same old thing.
As college students, we tend to be creatures of routine. It’s hard not to be. We have to follow a specific class schedule, and with club meetings and events it’s hard not to find a scheduled flow. But let’s face it: “scheduled flow” is an oxymoron. As it turns out, following the same path every day becomes mind-numbing for those of us that crave a little more adventure. The longer I stuck to my daily routine, the less productive I became, and the harder it was for me to drag myself to each event in my overscheduled life.
So, I did a little experiment. Over the course of one week, I followed a different schedule than the day before. I rearranged my general afternoon and evening routines by venturing to different study spots, completing work earlier, going to the gym later and visa versa, while still making it to the events that I could not manipulate (such as classes and org meetings).
What I found was that the change of pace completely reset my brain. When I got out of class for the day, I evaluated where I was at mentally. If I thought I was in the right state to grind out that paper that I have to do, I’d sit down and do it. If I felt as though I would benefit from a little nap or some Netflix, I’d take a moment for that too.
Not only was I more productive, but I was also more interested. The walk to the Historical Society library looks different than the walk to my Union South study spot. Every day was a different scene, and I felt less inclined to take it for granted. I found myself appreciating the beauty of #UWFall when I was no longer trapped inside a cage of routine. My daily adventures had me feeling so much freer and less confined. As a result, I actually enjoyed the things that I used to dread, such as going to the library.
Routine is the enemy of productivity, and if you’re like me, it takes the fun out of things. A little spontaneity in life is a good thing—it keeps you alert (i.e. not falling asleep during that 8 a.m. power lecture!!).
Helen, I know that we may see each other less now, but our time together is that much more special. To everyone else, get out of your routine. Take the time to get outside of your schedule, listen to your mind and just enjoy.
Marisa is a sophomore majoring in journalism. Please send all questions and comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
