Today, VALLEY is taking you back to the good old days: elementary school. The smell of fresh crayons in the air, cozy classroom cubbies and not a worry in your brain… except maybe that classroom clip chart. In those days, the world felt so easy, you knew exactly how you were doing with 3 simple colors. Green meant perfect, yellow was a warning and red was a day-ruiner.
There are probably days in college you wish problems were as easy to solve as in elementary school: A roommate keeps leaving dirty dishes in the sink, a boyfriend forgets to text back, or a friend flakes out on dinner for the fifth time in a row. Maybe it’s time to bring the clip chart back. Hanging it somewhere in the kitchen or living room can be a more ‘friendly’ way to subtly call out your roommates. Moving someone’s clip could be the best way to imitate those hard or awkward conversations.
Clip Charts are for Everyone
From roommates to boyfriends to friend groups, everyone you know deserves a clip. Have a professor who is praying on your downfall? Their clip stays forever on red. You can also make the clip chart as elaborate or as simple as you’d like. You could print photos or polaroids out to glue to each clip, bring it back to the old school days with some cartoon clip art, or simply write each name on a clothespin.
Elementary School Nostalgia
Implementing a college clip chart could be the answer to your prayers. Each person has different communication styles and maybe you’re not the type to have confrontational conversations each day. Maybe you’re having problems with your random roommate and it just feels weird to have such a serious conversation at first. The clip chart offers a conversation starter that everyone can see. It even offers a little bit of public shaming if one person is constantly in the red.
It can also bring more of a lighthearted vibe to some of the more serious issues. Making jokes or bringing silliness to small yet annoying problems can also set everything into perspective. It brings back the elementary school feelings of fun and reminds everyone to not take things too seriously. It can diffuse situations and maybe even make the person in trouble not feel as bad. The college clip chart can take away the pressure of that starting conversation that we keep avoiding. Now all you have to do is move one clip.
So VALLEY readers, what would your clip get moved for doing? Share with us @VALLEYmag on X!
