Dear CRCers:
Our Winter Break is so long! Any suggestions for how I can be productive during it? Â
Signed, Productivity-Conscious
Whew, the winter holidays and break are finally here! What seems like a long break will go by quicker than you think. You could use the weeks doing some temp work, shadowing a professional someone towards your career exploration goals, or reading ahead for a tough class coming up in the spring; however, the CRCers would like to suggest you embrace your time away from the daily grind and fully welcome the change of scenery and momentum:
Rest:Â It goes without saying that a Brown semester is fast-paced and intense. Detox from caffeine and email; catch up on sleep and slow down your daily routine--these are your priorities for a change!
Reconnect with your Roots:Â Many of us have homes far from Brown, and the break is an important moment to spend focused time with home-based family and friends, and on being with our "non-Brown" selves; and what do we mean by that? Do you have a hobby you enjoy but don't have time to practice during the semester? Is there a favorite place you like to frequent--like a local park or community center--that you miss when you're at Brown? Do it, go to it, experience it, and savor your relationships based elsewhere!
Reflect (compassionately): It may be hard to process all that's happened this past semester, and you may not be able to do so straight away. Take a moment to journal, tell a friend, or express in some other way how things went:
What were the highs? The lows? Â
What's one accomplishment you're proud of? Â
Was there an obstacle you encountered?Â
What did you learn about yourself?
What do you want to focus on this break, and during next semester? Who can help you with this/these goals?
Read (for fun): Last year the CRCers tried to do a used book swap; it didn't work because we hardly had any books on campus we had read for pleasure. A lot has been written about the benefits of reading on our soul. Here are some of the books we're hoping to read during the break, or ones we'd swap with you if we could:
Peggy's reading Amy Tan's Where the Past Begins, a memoir by the author of The Joy Luck Club, and she is hoping to get to These Truths by historian Jill Lepore.
Victoria's reading The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui, a graphic memoir on generational memory, war, and refugee journeys.Â
Parker's reading Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, a novel about two refugees' shared experiences.Â
Soyoon's reading Nicole Chung's All You Can Ever Know, the author's memoir about losing and finding her roots while unearthing difficult family secrets.
Ann's reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a novel about a young Nigerian couples' immigration journeys.
Whether you celebrated Hanukkah or will celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, El DÃa de los Reyes, or none of the above, we wish you a Happy New Year; Rejoice, be well, and we'll catch you again in late-January 2019!