Going away to college… one of the great transitions of life.  New school, new town, new people, new house, new food, new classes, new schedule, new everything.  At Smith, it can mean having to learn a whole new vocabulary… HONS, HR, HP, SGA, GPA, RADS, ITT- the list goes on and on.  (Have you ever wondered if the caps lock key is broken on all the computers around campus?)  And we won’t even mention the stress of making sure your parents don’t have an emotional breakdown at letting their little girl go!  How on earth does one adjust to this craziness? 

            One of the most important things you can do during a time of major transition, when everything around you is changing, is to take some time to think about what remains the same.  I know it can seem like the answer to that is nothing, but if you let yourself take the time to reflect, you’ll realize that’s not completely true.  It is those things that are consistent in our lives that help us maintain our sanity and stay anchored when it feels like we’re a piece of dandelion fluff floating being blown in the wind.  In psychology, we call these things transitional objects.  You know there are little rituals, little routines, little anchors in your life that will be there with you and for you as you juggle this new challenge.  Things as simple as having your favorite kind of tea from home and enjoying a mug while you watch the trees start to change color outside your window.  Or taking time to look through a special photo album and know that the people you see there still love you and support you, even if they are two thousand miles away.  Or making up a play list on your iPod of your favorite “comfort songs” and going for a walk around the pond.  Any of these little breaks in the chaos will help you stick with what you know to strengthen you through the newness of Smith. 

            If you’re reading this, then there is one other special routine that we haven’t talked about- playing tennis!  If you’re already plugged into the team, then you didn’t just pick up the game yesterday.  You’ve been playing for long enough to know how important it is to you and how good for you it is.  Brava!!  All I can say is, keep it up!  This new chapter of your life will be so much enhanced by your being a part of the team.  Not only is it something that you bring with you from home as a passion and an interest, but it has the added value of being good for you!! Imagine that!!  Instead of some of our lesser healthy self-care habits (like, say, sitting down with a box of Lindt’s truffles and eating them all in one go), this one makes you feel good and won’t make you regret it later. 

            As the semester gets started, and quickly gets crazy, hold on to what you know.  Take care of yourself in the best ways that you can.  Make time (and I emphasize make- you will have to prioritize cuz time to care for yourself ain’t gonna fall in your lap!) to do the things that truly make you who you are, and for you, one of those is playing tennis.  I promise you, if you commit to it, you will find no other better combination of getting exercise (which not only gets you in shape but also vents stress in the greatest of ways), experiencing the joys of a team, and doing one of those things that you have always done and will remind you, even when it seems impossible, that Smith is, in fact, on the same planet as your hometown.