BrendonFinnemore+3-4-10

// 03|04|2010

Dear College Student,//

Spring (Break) is in the air and you just had your first ‘last’ class before vacation. Looking around, there’s a smile on nearly everyone’s face. The chilly walk to your inconveniently parked car seems a little shorter this morning. The sun beams off the hood of your creatively positioned vehicle. Glancing through the windshield you notice something…paper. //Oh, no.// Oh, yes. Campus security found nothing Van Gogh about your blatant parking violation. What to do now...Appeal? Beg the parents for a little extra next month? Pretend it never happened? Well, don’t do the last one. It happened. Despite the pain of coughing up the extra pizza money for such an avoidable circumstance, it needs to be done. As a college student, you need to eliminate as much unnecessary stress as possible to get you by. Stress relief you say? If you’re getting all worked up about a $20 parking fine, odds are you need a break. That gentleman’s C won’t earn itself you know. So get some of that uninterrupted focus back doing something that won’t hurt your wallet as much as an untimely ticket. With spring break here, these opportunities practically throw themselves on you like a final project you’ve had just four months to work on. Using $20 as our cap, let’s look at some of these de-stressers. We’ll assume you can manage to find a partner for all of these activities. And if not…Do them all twice! //Bowling//. Who doesn’t like a good game of throw the 12 lb ball into the oddly shaped and situated pins. If you don’t like bowling, just enjoy the atmosphere. Many of these establishments offer billiards, arcades, and adult beverages. Barring any binge playing of every country song under the sun, you should be able to bowl a couple strings and meet our limit. //Muddin’//. Okay, not everyone has the wheels to do some real Maine mud running, but improvise. As state parks begin opening, take advantage of some trails early on. Many of Maine’s peaks can be climbed by simply parking at a designated spot along the road. Even better than that is the price; free. So guess what? Other than all you can eat trail mix and energy drinks, you may have some of that Jackson left over. //See a local show!// About anything. You may be interested in //Sparks the Rescue// more than a town theatre production of Gone with the Wind, but support the arts. This will be the pricier of the 3 but well worth it. If not for free, you’ll definitely be able to check out some cool music for $7-10 apiece. Theatre productions are similarly priced or by donation. So there you have it, just a few ideas of how you can get out and enjoy yourself over vacation and prepare yourself for the final push. In closing I’d like you to remember a couple things. These are great ways to enjoy yourself and get rid of college-life stresses __all the time__. If given the chance don’t think twice about getting off campus and breathing some new air. Also, if you’re planning on eating dinner you should probably consider bringing an extra twenty. Unless it’s another guy, gentlemen please foot the whole forty. Half of the reason she’s going is because it’s not costing her. Besides, that C could turn into a C+ with some honest effort.

Sincerely Yours, C. Student