BC has the expectation of perfection, but sometimes it’s OK to just freak out

Stop telling me to ‘chill out’

“Whoa.” “Seriously calm down.” “You literally need to relax.”

Freaking out is a practical action that people need to participate in in order to cope with any situation. For example, your alarm doesn’t go off, you forgot it was supposed to rain all day or you trip walking up the million dollar stairs. The active action of freaking out is normal, it’s healthy and it’s crucial for college students who are constantly told they need to be smart, skilled and studious while maintaining a calm, smooth exterior.

Maybe the gym makes you freak out? Honestly, power to you. The girl sprinting her 10th mile next to you at the plex should make you a little stressed. After all, you’re walking at 4.0 mph on an “incline” and ate an entire large cheese pizza last night, so it’s not like you shouldn’t be doing your part. Be annoyed. Laugh at yourself if you just can’t get motivated. Get off the treadmill and make your swift exit.

Perhaps your dad’s weekly, “Are you aware your bank account balance is a solid $2.46 cents?” text or maybe the “When will you learn?” text freaks you out. Valid. This is good, this means you are a normal human being who knows you shouldn’t have purchased that round of shots for complete strangers but you did it anyway and now you have to deal with the embarrassment of seeing those people around campus. I do not need your judgment of me too, dad. Not today.

Maybe your life is not in shambles like mine and you panic about homework or tests. Maybe midterms or final exams freak you out? That’s AWESOME. Freak out, drink a gallon of coffee, re-read every single note that was ever taken on multivariable calculus or organic chemistry and pace the library. You will work harder and it will yield more successful results if you let yourself really feel the uncertainty and then go back to conquer at O’Neill.

Maybe you freak out about how Snapchat is an apparent valid form of communication these days. You don’t really seem to understand how it’s appropriate to converse over snapchat and you long for the days of hellos in public. This is totally worth a momentous freak out, especially because you’re actively participating in the distant, impersonal social media culture. Someone you know doesn’t acknowledge you in lower or when you are walking through the mods? Either wave at them and watch as they awkwardly nod or look away, then proceed to freak out once you’re in private. Maybe scream. Take the L.

Be proud of what makes you freak out. Embrace it and FREAK OUT. Don’t worry about how other people perceive you, speak your mind and vocalize how you’re feeling. Maybe you get FOMO, maybe you hate being late, maybe you hate elevators or maybe you really cant stand loosing your car keys. It’s okay. We live in a world where people are so worried about putting on a façade that they have it all together.

At Boston College, as well as many other institutions, there is a competitive culture of perfection and we as students need to abstain from letting it impact us. Everyone has a different thing that makes him or her tick and this is undeniably, a good thing. The world and how it operates is always going to influence us and it is important to recognize the validity of freaking out and support those around us. We also live in a world where girls are constantly told they are crazy and everyone is told they need to “chill out.” No. You do not need to chill out.

More
Boston College