By: Maddie Schmidt
As college students, our week can feel like a blur of classes, assignments, work and
responsibilities. But somewhere between Monday and Friday afternoon, most of us have
something we look forward to. Maybe it’s a coffee run, a favorite playlist, a weekly dinner or
simply an hour to ourselves.
These rituals may seem insignificant from the outside, but for us students, they can become small
anchors in an otherwise unpredictable week.
There’s a difference between routine and ritual. Our routines are what we do and the patterns we
follow out of necessity, such as going to class or attending meetings. A ritual, however, is
something we intentionally return to because it brings us comfort, gives us something to look
forward to or has a special meaning to us. It is a break from our routine and responsibilities and
is a moment set aside simply for our enjoyment.
Some rituals are a weekly occurrence that help us stay motivated as we go through each week. I
started a “Taco Bell Thursday” tradition my freshman year with my two best friends that has
stuck around ever since, even now that we’re in our senior year. I look forward to that ritual
every week, because I get to connect with my friends, and it reminds me that the weekend is
approaching fast.
Toby Quillin, a sophomore biology major, hangs out with some old friends at the end of each
week.
“One thing that I really look forward to is going out with my high school classmates on Saturday
nights,” Quillin said. “We started this tradition last year of going to a fast-food restaurant,
hanging out and playing games like Mafia or Chameleon. It definitely helps me to get through
my week.”
Eve Blanchard, a junior marketing major, also enjoys spending time with friends as one of her
rituals.
“Every week, I look forward to going to my life group meeting and hiking,” Blanchard stated. “I
usually do one of those things weekly.”
Alongside the weekly rituals we have are the day-to-day moments that give us a boost of
encouragement.
Quillin said that his daily ritual is hanging out with fellow dorm friends at the end of each day.
“My favorite small part of the day is going to my friends’ room at night,” Quillin said. “I get to
relax, do homework, play the piano or have a Bible study with the company of my closest
friends. It’s my favorite part of the day.”
Blanchard expressed that the daily moments she looks forward to is saying hello to people on the
way to class.
“My favorite small part of the day is walking from class to class because I enjoy seeing people
and being outside,” Blanchard stated. “I could drive, but being outdoors gives my brain a break
and it makes me happy to have brief interactions with people throughout the day.”
Sometimes, the thing we look forward to most is the time that we get to ourselves.
EJ Woy, a sophomore business finance major, said that he needs to set aside time for himself to
stay motivated throughout the week.
“My favorite small part of my week is going on a walk at the track at night,” Woy said. “I’ve
realized that having that alone time helps me to not be stressed and to reflect on life.”
Woy went on to say that he feels most balanced and recharged when he can stick to this ritual.
“If I go a week without that alone time,” Woy said, “I become so exhausted and overwhelmed.
It’s a necessity for me to put in my AirPods and take that 20-30 minutes to get away from
everything.”
Quillin also has a weekly ritual just for himself.
“Every Thursday morning this year,” Quillin said, “I get up early and walk on the Biology Trails
or go off campus to go birdwatching. I didn’t realize I was doing it every week when I first
started, but it has become an important part of my week.”
While all these rituals look different, they serve the same purpose: creating something familiar to
return to that reminds us that we are doing just fine.
Quillin expressed that his rituals help to keep a balance between his responsibilities.
“My little rituals matter to me because it keeps me grounded and gives me certain things to look
forward to throughout the week.” Quillin said. “It makes the workload of classes more bearable
and also helps me to have better time management and to take care of myself.”
At the time, these rituals probably don’t feel like memories in the making. They are just Tuesday
coffee runs, Sunday resets and Friday nights spent with the same people. But as the college years
begin to blur together, it may be the ordinary moments we return to in our memories—the
familiar places, the repeated traditions and the people that made an ordinary week just a little less
stressful.
Getting through the week does not have to mean doing anything extraordinary. Sometimes it is
simply about having a few little things that make us glad to be there.
