IYRT at Northwestern
Photography by Christina Feng
If you’re reading this, keep going.
The start of winter doesn’t exactly have a sparkling reputation on campus. You’ve got a quarter’s worth of work under your belt, daylight feels limited, and the Chicago weather makes getting to class an extreme sport. Being blown sideways on Sheridan while walking to a 9 a.m. in Tech is a true test of wildcat resilience.
But the If You’re Reading This team likes to view it from a half-glass-full perspective, instead. By now, you’re a seasoned ‘cat who’s readjusted to campus life, the sun is (slowly but surely) setting later, and (hopefully) your professor makes an effort to commend you and the other brave souls who walked to class instead of surrendering to the frostbite shuttle.
Overcoming Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) takes a little help from those around you, so to give you a mental boost we asked members of the Northwestern community for words of encouragement:
Dalia: “I’m grateful to be coming off a lovely winter break spent with my family. Looking forward to surrounding myself with my friends and positive energy in the new year. I try not to be too hard on myself about ‘goals’ but I am looking forward to challenging myself to do more things for myself outside of school!”
Anonymous: “I'm grateful for a new year and a new season to try new things. Looking forward to warm get-togethers with my friends!”
Colleen: “I’m excited to be rounding out the end of my academic career taking a course with a professor who taught my first class at Northwestern!”
Isaac: “I’m grateful to be back on campus so I can spend time with my friends—especially as we get closer to graduation.”
Anonymous: "I'm excited for my classes, as the workload is much lighter compared to last quarter."
Lindsay: “I’m excited to try something new and unknown and grateful for the awesome people I get to experience it with!”
Danielle: "I'm looking forward to attending all of the fun social events that the Northwestern clubs and organizations have to offer this quarter!"
Professor Paul Wang shared a snippet from one of his favorite songs “Being Alive,” as he feels there’s uncharted potential to integrate music, art, and theater into conversations about mental health: “Hey, buddy, don’t be afraid that it won’t be perfect. The only thing to be afraid of really is that it won’t be. Don’t stop now, keep going!”
Anonymous: "I'm grateful for the opportunity to catch up with my friends after winter break!"
Anonymous: “I’m looking forward to cozy hangouts and events to counter the winter quarter blues!”
The IYRT Team, Northwestern University
Connect With Us
To follow IfYoureReadingThis at Northwestern on Instagram, get in touch with our chapter, and learn about more resources available to Northwestern students, visit our chapter’s homepage.
AUTHOR CONTACT
This author has opted to allow readers who resonate with their story to contact them. If you would like to speak to the author of this letter about their experience, please use the form below.
