Wake up late, throw on clothes, pack a bag, head to class; the typical morning routine for the average college student, give or take a cup of coffee or a hot shower.
After this, a trip to the library or a pitstop at the food court might be another task on their to-do list. And if there isn’t much else to do, the standard college student can probably be found hanging out alongside their close friends later in the night.
Although I pride myself on my independence and try to deviate from the status quo whenever I can, I’ve personally fallen into this cycle quite frequently lately, letting the deadlines given to me by my professors and the parties hosted by my friends dictate my day-to-day life.
From the walks I’ve taken to One World and the breaks I’ve had in between my classes; I’ve had time to reflect on both my recent routines and my freshmen year as a whole.
With the effects of the pandemic still ongoing, I’m sure most of my fellow Vandals could agree that this past year has flown by quite quickly. With fewer events, less interaction, and less connection, this year has been less than memorable.
The routines that we’ve adopted have further contributed to this otherwise lackluster school year. This, I believe, has caused most of us to slip into a state of familiarity.
Personally, it seems as if the people I talk to, the places I see and the things I do are all one and the same; nothing but a rerun episode of a mediocre TV show stuck on an infinite loop.
After talking with some of my close friends, I’ve realized that I’m not alone in experiencing this odd state of being. Life has been all too familiar lately. For all of us. And that’s scary to me.
Growing up in a small town, I watched countless individuals graduate from my high school, marry their high school sweetheart and start building a house within a couple of blocks of their childhood home. Not once did they challenge what they knew to be familiar.
Ever since leaving that town, I promised myself that I would never become too familiar with my life. Becoming too familiar means you’re not moving, not growing, not learning. By accepting a state of familiarity, you’re accepting a state of stagnancy.
I totally recognize that choosing to go to the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho wasn’t exactly a drastic change for myself individually, but it was a change, nonetheless. With intentional change, our lives become more interesting, which makes life itself less familiar.
Change doesn’t have to be huge, like throwing your phone away and moving to a new state. However, it should be something that pushes you to experience something you’re not used to. Something that allows you to gain a new perspective. Something that makes you think a little bit more about what you already knew to be true. Ultimately, change should be made to combat your sense of familiarity.
It’s not hard to make life less familiar going forward. Take a new route home when walking back from class. Try a new drink at the coffee shop. Talk to a new person after class. Even minimal changes, such as these, can help push us towards a more meaningful life.
As graduation approaches and summer begins, I encourage those who read this to start making intentional changes in your life. Soon enough, the pandemic will be over, a new semester will start and life will resume as it once did. Everything will go back to normal.
This shouldn’t be an invite to get comfortable again with what we’ve known to be familiar, but instead, an invite to push ourselves. Because where familiarity starts, a life of meaningful memories and proactive change end. That’s why I fear a life of familiarity, but that’s also why I know I have to fight it.
Herman Roberts can be reached at [email protected]