‘Me Time’ and How to Find it in College

The cliche term ‘Me Time’ truly becomes essential when you get to college. Throughout your early years, you may have had your own room or a safe space in your house that you could count on being open if you needed time to debrief, but what happens once you move into a dorm room? You are now living in a shared space with no scheduled time alone. For me, this almost became worrisome before coming to college. The idea of never being alone seemed hard for me. Although I am an extrovert, I really enjoy time to myself each day to recharge and fully relax. So how could I guarantee that I had that when I came to college?

Here are a few extra steps I took to assure myself that time which I believe would be beneficial for everyone to do:

• Compare schedules with your roommate – After getting your roommate assignment and finalizing your fall semester schedule, I recommend reaching out to your future roommate to compare your schedules. Know that it is very rare that your schedules will be perfectly aligned, so finding the times in which your roommate will be in class, and you will not be can be the best way to know when you can definitely have the room to yourself.
• Be open with your roommate – Do not be afraid to ask your roommate if you can have the room to yourself every once and a while. Whether that be for a zoom call or so you can take a nap with no disruptions, remember that it is your room too!
• Take advantage of spots around campus – Furman’s campus is filled with spots where you can go, sit, and relax. This can be inside or out! You can grab a drink at the library cafe and get a study room for yourself or take a walk around the lake and enjoy some time on a bench… the options are endless.

• Get comfortable with being alone – It can feel very uncomfortable being alone during your first few weeks away at college, but that is something you will have to work on being comfortable with. You will not always have a friend to walk you to class or sit with you at the dining hall so the quicker you become comfortable being alone, the easier it will be to navigate campus and honestly enjoy those walks to class or meals alone.    

• Take advantage of having your car on campus – As a freshman, you have the option to bring your car to campus, some choose to bring it, and others do not. If you do bring your car, it opens the opportunities to take a drive if you need to get off campus or enjoy the restaurants, coffee shops, and stores within Travelers Rest and Greenville!
• Remember, you do not have to be glued to campus – This goes along with having your car on campus, but even if you do not, it is important to remember you are not glued to campus. There is so much to see and do right around campus, and doing so often can be a good stress reliever or fun adventure.
• Treat yourself – Go get coffee at a cool place downtown or take a trip to Trader Joe’s and by yourself flowers! You are important & deserve to feel like it!

These are a few things that I have done so far in my freshman year here at Furman, and they have genuinely benefitted me so much. It is not always easy to remember to take time for yourself but starting a new journey away at college can sometimes be overwhelming and stressful, and taking a few moments to yourself will never hurt!

Always remember I am here to give advice and answer questions if you need 🙂

See you next week,

-Olivia Pearson