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As we’ve all heard ad nauseam, the furlough days can be both a curse and a blessing.
Though we may appreciate the sporadic day off, it seems they’re making the rest of the semester fly by quicker than a cop on a scooter.
The fall semester is rapidly dissipating and with it has gone my free time.
I’ve never had a fall semester shake me out of the summer space-out syndrome as quickly as this one and it is largely to do with a busier schedule and a higher expectation to do work when I would otherwise be in class.
This means I’m on campus a lot more using the library, running to class, eating while running to class or simply killing time until my next meeting or office hours. Though the diminished free time area in my planner has made me a fixture on school grounds, I like being able to acquaint myself with campus all over again.
Finding myself with 15 minutes here and 20 minutes there used to blow holes in my entire schedule and leave me searching my call log for someone to talk to.
Now, instead of bugging people who have their own busy schedules, my brief breaks have forced me to walk a strange direction on campus and find myself somewhere to collect my thoughts for a few minutes.
In case you haven’t looked around while speed-walking to class, we have a beautiful campus.
There are rose gardens, statues and trees taller than some buildings. The entire 119-acre campus is prime real estate for a picnic or thought provoking conversation.
For instance, one of my favorite things about Chico State’s campus is the creek. This vein of trickling tranquility is just asking for you to lay down your jacket, take a seat and have an epiphany.
Because it pretty much divides campus in half, you could be anywhere on campus and still be only minutes away from relaxation. You may know that there are benches and picnic tables that fan out as you cross the bridge between Holt and Ayres halls, but you may not know if you follow one of the arms of the path leading from that bridge, you will find a magnolia grove just waiting for you to try and count its blossoms.
If you’re on the other side of the water, try the dirt path behind Selvester’s Cafe-by-the-Creek. No benches or tables here, only a stone retaining wall and four quiet feet between you and the water.
There is even the amphitheater behind the Physical Science Building. It took me two years before I discovered this world wonder but I’m never going back to eating my meals on a cold hard step outside the Bell Memorial Union.
The grassy fields outside Yolo Hall are a great place to collect your thoughts on your own or with a friend. The open sky and constant presence of people playing some sort of team sport make this spot perfect for anyone.
Some people are partial to the indoors and I can understand why with the temperature dropping every day.
The seating area tucked behind the food station in the Associated Students Bookstore is great for a toasty warm break time. It’s as if the Bell Memorial Union is a babushka doll and this glass walled sanctuary is the tiny surprise in the center. With leafy growth surrounding the ceiling-high windows, it’s a perfect way to feed your people watching habit without piling on the winter wool.
Regardless of where you take five minutes to work on that novel or just decompress in the middle of your day, there’s no reason you shouldn’t find that time somewhere on campus. Fall semester is zooming by but that just means the stress of spring is on its way. The best way to prepare for the next 15-week-long marathon is to take a breather from the one we’re running right now.
Joanna Hass can be reached at
jhass@theorion.com
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