Chat with the Chief: The grind

Try not to judge when you see that student with messy hair and bags under their eyes sipping their third coffee of the day by 11 a.m.

Maybe they’re wearing sweatpants for the fourth day in a row, but again, please don’t judge. We’ve all been there.

Sometimes students sacrifice their appearance, sleep and sanity in order to keep up with coursework, and months of that grind can take a toll.

We all have exams, essays and projects. We’ve all stayed up long after the late show personalities have signed off for the night. We’ve all occasionally skipped a morning shower and breakfast in favor of another 30 minutes of studying before class.

These habits take hold around this point in the semester and are especially prominent among those that attend classes before noon.

There’s typically a lot of effort applied to looking good in the early weeks of a new semester. Yet, the phenomenon of appearance degradation doesn’t take long to set in and seems to come in sequence with the course’s exam schedule.

Students start prioritizing coursework over applying makeup and shaving and that’s not really a bad thing. In a lot of cases, it’s just necessary. We’re all being worn down by stress and have to make sacrifices to stay afloat.

But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and it gets brighter with each passing lecture. We’ve almost made it to Thanksgiving break and just after that, winter break.

One day at a time, Bulldogs. Just one day at a time.