The Ram Runway: Escaping that F**** E**** Stress

Be warned! In the following lines I will use the most disgusting, inappropriate, and disliked two words of all time. I am sorry in advance if I offend anyone…but it has to be talked about. That’s right. I am going to talk about FINAL EXAMS.

It’s that time of year where everyone is feeling down, stressed, and anxious. Studying takes up all of our time and leaves us little room in our busy schedules for relaxation. We switch from subject to subject, changing up the ways in how we study. We write two or more papers, and if we are lucky, we only have to suffer through one final paper. The research papers are the worst: ten pages of information you drag out of texts and online sources, all to be turned in the next day. Hey, didn’t the professor just assign that paper yesterday at the end of class?

I don’t know about you, but studying makes me hungry. Well, let’s face it, I live for food, but nothing compares to how much I binge during exams. And it’s not even a healthy binge! I crave University Pizza, Chevy’s, PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, Cheeburger Cheeburger, Panera (Fordham please take notes) but it’s too cold outside to travel. So, I opt for my giant stock of M&M’s and little cases of microwavable rice that my mom sent me in a care package. I consider my healthy snack to be an over-sweetened strawberry milkshake from the Grill.

Stress causes emotional eating, and emotional eating makes us feel like we’re doing something and helps to get rid of the anxiety we feel about our upcoming tests. But there is a healthier alternative to emotional eating that relieves anxiety and stress even better.

Thanks to my roommate’s helpful motivation (she goes to the gym almost every day!), I started to go to the gym about three times a week. As professors continue to pile on work that adds more stress to the already stressful college student's life, all you need is a simple 30 minute work out on any machine (I chose the elliptical and treadmills) to lower your stress level! Not only does going to the gym make you feel great on the outside, but you get to feel empowered on the inside! The weight of tests and homework and papers was lifted with every step you pushed through at the gym.

Make going to the gym fun! Give going to the gym a purpose and show off cute workout clothes. Yes, trust me, they exist. Working out is easy to do in style since so many different brands are offered through shoes, clothing, and accessories. My personal favorites are Nike clothes. I am a runner, and they have so many fun shirts and shorts that are easy and cute to work out in. For shoes, I always stick with Aasics, since I have been running with their shoes since high school. These brands are easy to find at any department store. Sports Authority offers many different types of workout clothes. One of my favorites is a shirtdesigned with a fun or cool phrase. These phrases make me feel great and strong when heading off to the gym. Then, find a pair of bottoms to match!

It’s easy to mix and match and make going to the gym stylish and fun. Annalise Greco, a sophomore at Rose Hill, goes to the gym decked out in Under Armour spandex pants and a zip up jacket. Her black and white ensemble gives her a clean and put together work out look that is accentuated by her shoes. Though her shoes are black and white Nikes, the pink inner lining peeks through to add just the right about of color to her black and white palette. Greco is ready to take on the gym looking chic on the outside and feeling great within! Go get ‘em, girl!

Take a break from studying and stressing and put on something that inspires you. Take a more effective break time and go to the gym to show yourself off. With the weight off your shoulders, you’ve made more space to relax and actually focus on one thing at a time. You’ll feel better and more awake, along with being more motivated. You’ve made it this far already- push through this last week and look forward to that month long break waiting up ahead!

Briana Rotello is a sophomore at Fordham Campus, Rose Hill. She grew up in Rockville, Maryland and attended Wootton High School. She had always pictured herself living in New York City, and after she found Fordham University, she was able to put her dreams into action.

She picked Fordham University for both its academic integrity, strong focus on writing, and its location. She is planning on majoring in Communications. Briana aspires to be a fashion journalist after college and appreciates all the learning opportunities offered to her in the great city of New York. She is ecstatic to experience more of the fashion world, and to learn more about the art of writing.