The Power of Personal Space on a College Campus
“College can be hard to adjust to.”
You probably heard that more than once before moving out or starting higher education, and it’s for good reason. Where you live, eat, sleep, exercise, study, what have you – is completely different when you get to college. But as I begin the second semester of my sophomore year at Oak Summit instead of on-campus, it reminds me of another crucial factor in what makes college life such a difficult adjustment.
You rarely have personal space!
I noticed throughout my first three semesters at Arcadia that I enjoyed my packed schedule, thriving on multiple classes and jobs; yet I was stressed out beyond them, from an unknown source. My mental health worsened in a way that I didn’t really understand. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have a room to myself, and now 17 years later, I was surrounded by one or more people at all times. I didn’t even realize that this was causing me stress until I had a dorm to myself for a night or two and felt myself naturally decompress.
It was nothing against my roommates, either. I was pretty lucky to have a solid friendship with both my first and second-year roommates, and they had little (if anything at all) to do with what I felt by lacking alone time. It was an unbiased need I didn’t realize until it wasn’t getting fulfilled.
Does this mean that rooming with others is the end of the world? That we’re all doomed to be mentally stuck in little sardine tins, 24/7? Absolutely not. In fact, roommates are part of what makes each college experience so unique. There are friendships I have seen at Arcadia created by random roommate pairings that I am sure will last a lifetime. The key, as with anything in life, is about balance!
For example, if I noticed myself getting that cooped-up feeling, I would head to the gym, or on the trail leading to the Black Box Theater, or even a walk to Easton Road’s most popular 3.2-star attraction: Wawa. All of these locations, especially the Kuch Center, would have me surrounded by people, but in such a different context that it satisfied my need for personal space. Everyone there was present to work on their own mind and body, paying just enough attention to others to avoid literally running into them. Combining this with the physicality of moving my body was an incredible solution to the problem.
Stress is something that, depending on the circumstance, can be healthy. It pushes us to grow, allowing us to recognize our needs and set boundaries. Moving into Oak this Spring was not some solution to a problem; in fact, Oak residents may face the opposite problem of living on-campus, where they feel less connected to their peers. However, by attending classes, events, and programming, students in Oak can easily tackle this feeling as well.
Whether you consider yourself an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in the middle, we all have needs specific to ourselves. Maybe my perspective resonated with you somehow – or maybe you got to this point scratching your head and asking, “What is this guy talking about?” Whatever your reaction may be, you can learn from it: understanding your personal limits lets you plan a college life that suits you best. At the end of the day, it is important above all else to take care of yourself. Getting just a little more alone time in there might be the key that works wonders.
