Surviving Homecoming Week at GU

We Could All Use Some Help with the Crazy that is Homecoming at Graceland

Well, it’s that time of year again. Fall is everywhere you look, and school spirt is in the air. Homecoming at Graceland is definitely unique in comparison to other colleges, witch is why they are always so memorable. Only at Graceland do we get to do things like noon games, scavenger hunts, dodgeball and air band, where brother-sister House pairings compete against one another to win money. But, with all the fun and work that comes along with these activities, it can be hard to balance it all with things like… school. So, how do students balance this and not feel overwhelmed?

Setting a schedule can be a big help. Really. Lay out what your normal routine is for the day, and then fill in the space in between. If you have time in between classes, do some homework, or you can spend this time working on air band props. Not feeling overwhelmed is all based on time management.

Next, make sure you get some sleep. Homecoming week can run you a little thin from your normal routine with all the late-night activities. It’s okay to say no to doing something if you don’t really want to do it. Getting enough sleep will allow you to stay focused and awake when you need to – like in class – and prevent the possibility of getting sick.

Lastly, just make sure you’re having fun. The fun you create now become the memories you are going to look back on and tell your kids about, or talk to your college friends and say “remember when.”

But that’s not the half of it…

How to Survive Homecoming as a House President (HP)

“This time of year is one of the easiest,” said no House President ever. “For that entire week, it feels as if all of the House’s expectations are squarely on your shoulders,” said Andrew Galbraith, Stewart Manor HP ’14-15. Homecoming as a regular student can be stressful enough, but just imagine adding a 24/7-hour job on top of that. As an HP, you must balance school, House planning, meetings and activities; all while building relationships with those on your hall and keeping them involved and excited for the week and for the upcoming year. So, with homecoming week upon us, you’re probably wondering, “How do these super humans balance everything and not get burnt out?” To help answer this, I asked a couple of my past HP friends to create a Homecoming Survival Guide.

First, expect the unexpected. Things won’t always turn out like you plan, so try to be ready to improvise or revise. “As a House President, you learn all of these skills; go through all of this training about balance, yet when homecoming rolls around, all of that gets tossed aside,” explains Keeley Brunner, Solah HP ’14-15. But just try to relax when this happens, take a couple deep breaths. Never forget to breathe.

Second, just like any other student, balance is key. Yes as HP you are balancing many additional tasks during this week, but it’s the same concept. Just lay out all the things you need to do and make sure they all have allocated time slots in the week. But don’t forget to pencil in some time for yourself, and I mean time. Find something that allows you to take your mind off all the things you have on hand to do. If you play a sport there is 2 hours already built into your day where you can take you mind off you house to do list. If you don’t have a sport you could do things like go for a walk, run, workout, or maybe just sit back listen to music or take a nap to fill the lack of sleep you might be getting. Andrew agreed that it’s definitely balancing act. He told me that he was in the midst of one of his hardest semesters academically, taking 18 semester hours including biochemistry- a class that forced him to spend an extra 15 hours outside of class in the lab. So having a commitment both to his school work and house was tiring. He learned it was best to focus on whatever he was doing right then and there and nothing else. Plus use the help of your house council. They are the back bone to the body that is your house. Your house council will be there to support you and take some of the pressure off your shoulders.

Lastly have fun and look for the small things. “Even though it’s a crazy busy week and balance is hard sometimes, enjoy it!  Make sure you take a step back and see all of the relationships being formed and all the fun you’re having through the stress.” (Keeley Brunner) Those relationships that happen over the week are the best because you know that you had a part in helping to create those. So just relax and don’t stress to much it will all be fine in the end.