Hentzel: Be focused during the week, set aside down time for weekends

Caytlin Hentzel

The first week of class is over, and it is an important time in the school year. It’s when routines are made, pitfalls are discovered and friendships that will last a lifetime are made. It is important not to freak out, because not all of us can be super students who can take 18 credits, be in the Honors Program and participate in every club from glass-blowing to becoming the majestic men and women of the LARP dynasty.

There are plenty of things to do around the university. That even goes for the under-21 club which, let’s face it, is an enormous number of students this year, considering the size of the freshman class. There is the hookah bar on Lincoln Way, Project 20/20 and just hanging out with the awesome comic nerds at Mayhem.

On the weekend, hordes of students flock to the bars, attend house parties and eat large amounts of greasy food, especially of the pizza variety. We make memories, create and try out one-liners and play jokes on unsuspecting intoxicated individuals. Who doesn’t love when Friday comes around? You can do just about whatever you want and have a day to recover.

You can go to ISU After Dark at the Memorial Union and watch movies, take home amazing prizes by kicking butt at bingo and participate in many more events. College kids love free stuff, from T-shirts to condoms, so why not show up and see if you can score a coupon or two?

Yet when the weekend ends, we all have to face the music of pushing the snooze button twice and attending class for another five days. If you are tired of the mundane chemistry and physics courses, there are some interesting options offered at Iowa State.

Classes on human sexuality are always a good bet because, let’s face it, you don’t know as much as you think you do, and it’s a topic everyone is either talking or thinking about. There are ballroom dancing classes; you are bound to meet many wonderful young men and women in a fun and relaxing environment with booming personalities and quick feet.

As you dive back into your weekday classes, be sure to study hard and have time set aside to hang out with friends in order to wind down during the week. Don’t forget to attend classes and show up for study sessions. For those of us who don’t get our kicks from physics equations and proving the professor wrong, it is still possible to liven up that crazy schedule with some genuinely entertaining classes.