Everything Bucknell students should be thankful for

Barely a day ago, students came back to Bucknell after a long week at home. And now, they’re about to enter into the land of books and calculators.

Let’s face it: the return to school after Thanksgiving is hard.  We trade our turkeys for dining dollars, board games for textbooks, and lazy mornings for sleepless nights and nonstop studying. This is Bucknell pre-finals.

But, fear not! Despite our sadness about leaving our dogs at home, despite the fact that we are heading into study mode, Bucknellians still have a lot to be thankful for. Gratitude isn’t just on Thanksgiving anymore. It’s something we can find everyday at Bucknell.

Gratitude will help us survive the challenging days ahead

Life after turkey day has continued. Our planes landed, our clothes are unpacked (for most of us), and we’re now done with our first day of classes. We all pushed through the initial shock of a big return, and we all survived. And, this is something that should be emphasized.

As a community, Bucknellians support each other. As young educated engineers or neuroscientists or writers, difference is disregarded and strength in our ability to come together defines us as a student body. We survive because we’re in it together. I am proud to be part of such a strong community. I am thankful for that.

Friends re-unite after the Thanksgiving break.

So, stop biting your nails. Starting from the less serious to the more serious, here are some solid reasons to not fall apart as finals approach.

At three in the morning, nothing tastes better than the Flyson

First of all, working on an empty stomach is dangerous. We all need a little sustenance to get us through the night. Well, thank goodness for the Flyson, or the Flying Bison. The food truck will always be there to satisfy our needs at three in the morning. A plastic fork diving into a container of cheese drizzled tater-tots is something every Bucknellian should be grateful for. Without the Flyson, where else do we get brain food?

Super Saturdays to the rescue

Despite the endless papers we must write in the next week, remember what makes Bucknell a really special place. Super Saturdays. See, at Bucknell, inhibitions are truly unwanted on Saturday. Not all universities can say that. Saturday is the day you can look nice, go out with your best buddies, and dance around in the daylight until it’s time to go out at night. Leaving your dog at home is rough, but there are definitely reasons to come back to Bucknell.

If Bucknell wants a beach, Bucknell will make a beach.

Our education empowers us

As Bucknellians, we also have another huge, important thing to be thankful for, and that is our education. As young adults undergoing many changes in our lives, everything is fast paced. The fact that we can spend this crazy, vulnerable time learning and making friends and winning sports games at a division 1 school is a privilege, not a given. So, as much as we want to complain as we approach finals, we are truly some of the luckiest students alive.

We are at a school with a great reputation and we are maintaining its prestige. Bucknell students immerse themselves in their studies, and Bucknell minds power the institution. Everyone has a voice, but not everyone can say they have an educated one. Our Bucknell voice can advocate for change and stand up against corruption. This voice is what defines us, this is what makes us different, and this is something to be grateful for.

Bucknell student hard at work, already studying for finals.

Bucknell is home

So, we all pushed through the initial shock of getting back on campus and we all survived. And now, we can survive the upcoming weeks of studying, writing papers, and taking exams.

However, this is only possible if we remember the things we are grateful for. Leaving home is hard and taking finals is difficult. But, the Flyson, Super Saturdays, and appreciating that we are privileged are all things things that make coming back to Bucknell so great.