1. Deadlines, deadlines and more deadlines
The biggest plus about summer break is that there is no more need to carry around a day planner — unless you’re a hobbyist. Everywhere I turn at the University, there is another deadline lurking around the corner. Every time I cross one item off my to-do list, two more pop up in its place. Papers, projects and presentations multiply faster than one can stop them. Luckily, summer break is a sweet reprise from the agenda lifestyle at the University. The only project on my agenda is a full-body tan, and the deadline isn’t until August.
2. Waiting in line to take a shower
I have, overall, enjoyed living in a suite-style dorm these past two semesters. Gooch-Dillard is not just a deeply-isolated, staircase-abundant dormitory — it is a lifestyle. That said, whichever architect decided that one shower was enough for six boys is more inept than the architect that decided not to install an elevator anywhere in the vicinity. You know what? I bet it was the same guy. Not cool.
3. Sleeping five feet away from another human being
My roommate — whose name I will keep anonymous after finding out that he actually reads these articles — is a lovely gentleman. He is kind, generous and funny. But all of that is invalidated by the fact that he snores. Truth be told, he doesn’t even snore that loudly. It’s more of a heavy breathing. But I am a very light sleeper, and as a result, I am very thankful to leave the dormitory world behind for the summer. I’m sure my roommate is too, but he doesn’t write for The Cavalier Daily, so he can’t vent about my flaws.
4. Being harassed by tablers every time I step outside
How much do I hate tablers? I wrote an entire article on how to avoid them, which was then rejected because someone had already written an article on this. Because everybody hates tablers. Listen, I know it’s something people have to do. I’m in a club, I had to do it once, and I know it’s no fun being on that side of table either. But regardless, I’m looking forward to being able to grab a coffee in the morning without being sold tickets to an improv show.
5. Being rained on every other day
Is it just me or is Charlottesville the rainiest locality in all of the nation? I live only two hours away from the University, so there really shouldn’t be much of a climate difference. But compared to Charlottesville, my hometown is the Sahara. The weather must hate us — it’s like the clouds are Tech fans.
6. Eating food purely for sustenance
I mention the food a lot in my articles, and by now you might be wondering how bad the dining halls at the University are. The honest truth? There is occasionally something that knocks it out of the park. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are mixing crack into those mashed potatoes. But, 99 percent of the time, the food is best-described as aggressively passable. I’ve learned to eat for sustenance, not for pleasure. At the same time, I’ve gained 15 pounds since September. I think somebody has been feeding me in my sleep.
7. Having to carry around a keycard
This may seem like such a small nitpick because my student ID fits in my wallet. It doesn’t even register as an inconvenience. But there is something perversely frightening about just how powerful this tiny piece of plastic is. It controls my life. If I happen to leave it in my room or drop it in the dining hall or it gets snatched up by one of the oversized squirrels that haunt these hallowed Grounds, my life is essentially over. It’s a stressor.
8. Sharing my skin tone with Casper the Friendly Ghost
In the olden days, being pale was seen as highly desirable, as it meant you were wealthy enough not to have to work in the fields. Now, it means exactly the opposite. In 2019, work has migrated from the field to the second floor of Clemons Library, a pit of despair where the sun doesn't shine and “Avengers: Endgame” spoilers line the walls. I look to the summer where I will finally be reunited with the feeling of sunshine on my skin.
9. The word “finals”
It is crunch time, boys and girls. By the time this article breaks the internet, we will be entrenched in finals season. Our libraries will become our homes, our textbooks will become our friends and our friends will become our distractions. While finals may seem daunting, I like to think of them as our summer tax. We get almost four months of pure bliss, and all we have to pay is our sanity. What a deal!
10. Struggling to come up with things to complain about
This was the hardest top 10 I’ve had to write all year. Sure, this time of year feels like a lot. Sure, our dining halls sometimes serve us raw chicken. But at the same time, for every ten things I won’t miss about this place, there are a hundred more that I will. In summary? Be thankful, be happy and stay studying.
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