I'm taking a rest ("air quotes") day today, but that doesn't mean I don't have something for you to read! Check out my article on separating from home while at college printed in the Columbia Spectator. Here's an excerpt:
I’ve heard it called the “learning edge” by Pam Phayme,
Director of Barnard’s Office of Diversity Initiatives—that place where you feel
like you’re stepping out onto the precipice of your comfort zone. You’re not
falling off, completely unmoored from everything you know, but neither are you
completely secure in the comforts you’ve enjoyed before. Taken in an academic
context, it means that you’re willing to entertain new thoughts and take on new
experiences. It’s similar when separating yourself from home: you push your own
boundaries to avoid stagnation. This will look different for everyone and isn’t
determined by such arbitrary factors as days spent on campus or off.
