College is a whirlwind of papers, exams, social gatherings and morning lectures that seem to never end. Even on a day to day basis, it can be incredibly difficult to keep up with a schedule. You wonder: was school always like this?
Then, you remember the prime of your life: elementary school. The real glory days of free food, mandated nap time and recess.
Playtime Shenanigans
Recess was the break that we did not know we needed. Children aren’t typically stuck with office jobs and tedious tasks to tend to, yet we ran out of the school doors to recess like we had been deprived of fresh air for years.
It was an escape of some sort. Playing dodgeball with your friends, making friendship bracelets, hiding in the tunnel slide, walking along the track, whispering about your crush; as extreme as this may be, recess might have been the last time everyone was truly, unequivocally happy.
The Grind Never Stops
As we got older, there became less and less of a mandated break. Depending on where you lived during your high school career, you may or may not have been bestowed with a 50-minute free period. It’s no secret that college students also have this untapped source of freedom during the school day, but why isn’t it the same as when we were kids?
Because you’re still doing work on your “break.”
Have you ever noticed on campus that everyone has a computer out? Whether it be scheduling meetings, doing leftover assignments or any other responsibilities, it’s almost rare to see someone use their break between classes for its actual purpose. Everyone is granted a slot of free time, and yet you decide to do more work?
Revisiting The Glory Days
It’s understandable that classes become more time-consuming and weary as the semester goes on, but shouldn’t students be given the chance to actually take a break in the midst of all of this work? Although there are no playgrounds to climb on or slides to venture through around campus, that doesn’t mean college students can’t go to recess.
Think back to your childhood: running outside with dirt on your hands and a stick in your hand. Looking back, you might think this is incredibly silly to envision. But when you were a child, it was the only thing that made you enjoy your break from your “responsibilities.”
The best part about being a college student is the resources we have, whether it be through technology or through our peers. Everyone has a completely different schedule. Your recess is whatever you want it to be.
Block off a time when you do whatever you want to do. Something for actual fun, not just an extra shift at work or that assignment due in two weeks. Go sightseeing downtown or hang out with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Redownload Pokémon Go and play while walking around campus. Try out a new hobby. Buy an actual plant to grow in your room (soil and all). Play Minecraft with your partner. Something that you actually want to do: the more meaningless and effortless, the better.
Unfortunately, it can become difficult to find time for a break throughout the semester. It can be even harder to find priority for your well-being. As we get older, graduating college and moving into full-time jobs, never forget that you are never, ever too old for recess.
Tweet us at @VALLEYmag with what you want to do during your recess!
