Still from “Finding Nemo” (2003), Courtesy of Pixar
Alexia: Hi! I’m Alexia Bailey, a sophomore here at CU Boulder. While I may just be in my second year, I’m here to share everything I’ve picked up so far, which is a surprising amount of information. “What’s Eating at Alexia” is my unofficial and unfiltered guide to some of the things that being a CU Boulder Buff brings. Think of it as your guide to navigating everything that makes CU Boulder, well, CU Boulder. Whether you’re a freshman finding your footing or a senior with “no body, no crime” level grievances about finals week, I’m here to share my takes, tips and honest observations on everything from the sometimes-unpredictable Buff Bus system to navigating campus protests (or dodging them entirely). College is a wild, unforgettable ride, and “What’s eating at Alexia” is here to make sense of some of it, one opinion at a time.
Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten came from a cartoon fish. Well, actually, it was my dad, but I won’t tell if you don’t.
My dad is the smartest person I know, which makes sense given he’s a University of Colorado Boulder alumnus. He has an answer to literally anything, whether it be how to cook brisket or which Star Trek series is the best. But the best answer he has ever given me is, in fact, the most recognizable phrase from Disney’s 2003 animated film, “Finding Nemo.” And before you start rolling your eyes at the girl who gets Disney-branded advice from her father at nineteen years old, just take two seconds and hear me out.
“Just keep swimming” has carried me through more dark nights than any self-help book, motivational podcast or Pinterest quote ever could. It’s silly, maybe even a wee bit cliché, but when you’re sitting alone at 2:00 a.m., fighting the urge to fall asleep after your seven-hour shift but still needing to read the 45 pages of Plato’s “Republic,” sometimes you need something simple to hold onto. For me, that something is those three little words.
I say this now because I know that the beginning of the school year is always hard. You are going from tanning every day in your hometown surrounded by familiar people (or working a god-awful 9-5 job like me), and then you’re thrust into 7 classes, 3 clubs and a job. Oh, and don’t forget there’s an essay due Sunday! It’s a jarring transition, and every autumn it feels like I’m expected to hit the ground running with no time to breathe.
Dearest readers, I may not be able to tell you how not to completely lose your mind this semester, but I can give you the same advice my father told me. Bad test grade? Just keep swimming. Forgot to submit the assignment that’s been sitting in your Canvas drafts all week? Just keep swimming. Overwhelmed by the weight of being a full-time student, employee and human being all at once? Yep, just keep swimming. I stand by this saying because I think it reminds us to just keep on going, even when things are tough and it feels like the current is literally going against you. That said, sometimes swimming isn’t about speed or progress; it’s truly about surviving the current, one small stroke at a time.
However, here’s where I need to level with you: sometimes, swimming feels impossible. There are days when the water feels too deep, or when I’m exhausted before I even make it out of bed. On those days, my dad’s words don’t mean powering through at all costs; that will lead to burnout, which is just as bad. His words actually mean moving in the smallest way I can. Getting out of bed. Taking a shower. Taking an oddly creaky Buff Bus to class, even if my brain is screaming at me not to. That, too, is swimming. It is perseverance. A message that school districts around the globe have been screaming at us for years to apply to our everyday lives. Be persistent. Be gritty. Swim.
And sometimes swimming looks like reaching out for help. To a friend. A coworker. To Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), which offers six free counseling sessions to CU students. To a professor who will give you grace when you’re falling behind because, to most students’ surprise, they were college kids with emotions and lives once too. Just because the phrase is simple doesn’t mean the practice is easy, and I’d be lying if I pretended I have it all figured out. I had to drop a class a week ago because I don’t. If you ever see me on the Buff Bus, you will tell me that I do not have my marbles in place, and I will agree. But those three words of encouragement have become a reminder that I don’t have to be perfect; I just have to keep going, one small stroke at a time. And I think we could all benefit from a little bit of grace and perseverance right about now. Coming back to a known stressful environment is hard, but getting help doesn’t have to be.
Dearest readers, I know that it is only the beginning of the semester, but as it goes on, I want you to remember that you do not need to be perfect as long as you remember what both a little animated fish and my mechanical engineering dad say: just keep swimming.
Contact CU Independent Opinion Editor Alexia Bailey at alexia.bailey@colorado.edu
