So school is stressful. I feel like it’s stressful anywhere, and Penn is no exception. People who are attracted to Penn are likely to be the types to get stressed out because we do stressful things, like train for marathons, decide to take an advanced math course for fun, or apply to ten different jobs at once. That’s the way this school is, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Everyone around me truly inspires me, which is awesome.
However, you also have to take a break and relax somehow. In my hardest year yet of nursing school, I’ve realized this is not only helpful, but is actually critical. Everyone knows there’s certain things college students can do to practice self care, like eating healthy, getting exercise, and getting enough sleep. I’m not going to write about those because you can find those tips anywhere, and they’re not specific to Penn.
Instead, this post is about very Penn-specific ways I practice self-care. What do I mean? Let’s get started:
1. Eating. I love food. Penn students are hard core in every aspect – we study hard, we play hard, and we are serious about our food. That’s why theres really great food everywhere – Along the 39th/40th block of Walnut and Spruce there’s at least 15 really great options for food. Personally, I love bar food (it might not be too good for my waistline, but it’s good for my soul). Cavanaugh’s Restaurant & Sports Bar has hands-down the best grilled cheese I have ever eaten. And Smokey Joe’s Enjay’s Pizza is the best pizza on campus (although if I’m in a rush, a slice of Zesto’s Margherita pizza is $3.75 and a really great dinner too).
2. Getting my nails done. The nail bar on 40th is awesome. Highly recommend.
3. Calling my grandparents while I walk to and from the nursing school/clinical. Living off campus means a walk of about 13 minutes to the SoN, and 15 minutes to HUP – as annoying as this sometimes is, a perk is that it gives me a chance to keep in touch with the people I love.
4. Making friends with baristas. I mean yes there are Starbuckses on pretty much every college campus ever. But does every Starbucks have Dennis, who one day told me I looked like “stylish Hermione”? No. Only Penn’s does. So come to Penn.
5. Dogs. Even though it is an urban campus, there is a large number of people walking their dogs and babies around here. Just walking up and down Locust walk and seeing the dogs (or even going to the dog park in center city) can be a huge relief.
6. Getting free stuff on Locust. Honestly, nothing beats a bad day like being surprised on Locust walk by a club giving out free hummus.
