I Cannot Go To School Today

by Shel Silverstein

"I cannot go to school today"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry.
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox.

And there's one more - that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue,
It might be the instamatic flu.

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke.
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in.

My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My toes are cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.

My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There's a hole inside my ear.

I have a hangnail, and my heart is ...

What?

What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is .............. Saturday?

G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

It's winter break...no more classes, no more finals, no more papers...at least for a while!

Everyone in New School Student Housing and Residence Life wishes you Happy Holidays and hopes you enjoy the Winter Break. In the spirit of Penny Ann McKay...make sure to go out and play today!

This Holiday Season – Recycle, Reuse and Re-invent Your Holiday Spending!

The school year is half way complete, and by now you've become enlightened on what it means to be a college student in New York City. For example, you know that taking taxis everyday and shopping for groceries only at Whole Foods are two sure fire ways to drain your bank account quickly. But just because you've adjusted your daily habits to cut costs doesn't mean you won't be tempted to spend spend spend this holiday season! So before you head home for the break, use these tips to help you curb your shopping appetite. After all, Mom and Dad can't be too proud of all those A+s if there are minus signs in front of your bank account balance!

Get in the Holiday Spirit, for Free!

New York City is notorious for holiday sightseeing and events. Free options include enjoying the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, admiring the window decorations on 5th Avenue, watching the nightly lighting of the giant menorah on 5th and 59th during Hanukkah, and of course, visiting Santa at Macy’s Herald Square. Not big into tradition? Well that's okay, too! Check out some unique and diverse activities, like the parading boom box carolers of Unsilent Night, the 500 tuba players at Rockefeller Center for Tuba Christmas, or celebrate the seven principles of Kwanza at the Museum of Natural History .

Get into Giving Gear and Donate!

Perhaps your dorm room is looking a little cluttered. When's the last time you wore those floral platform wedges, anyway? Help out your community (and spare your roommate some extra space!) by donating this season - and you can do it all right from your residence hall! Check out the bins in your lobby and drop off some coats, clothes, and canned goods.

Swapping Equals Saving

Not sure who to buy for this year? Spare yourself the torture of deciding which friends make the gift list by doing a group exchange. Have a Secret Snowflake Swap and set a price limit. Or be sustainable and do a White Elephant gift exchange...for once, re-gifting is encouraged! For more ideas, check out http://www.santalady.com/xmasgame/whiteelephant.html.

DIY and Use Your Talents!

Ever notice how Mom and Dad seem to love everything you've ever made, even those pictures where you colored outside of the lines or saturated the paper in glue? Well now that you're in college, odds are your talents have expanded, so using them for gift-making is an idea they'll truly appreciate. Got some time to kill on the long bus or plane ride home? Try knitting or crocheting. Decided to major in art? How about making a series of small paintings? If you're a writer, try filling a scrapbook up with some of your favorite memories, accompanied by photographs. It won't cost much to make, but you'll be sure to see many happy faces as your gift recipients open these hand-made gems.

Destination: Beyond Procrastination

The leaves have fallen, the temperature is dropping, and your motivation seems to be following suit. Sound familiar? With the end of the semester right around the corner, it's tough not to become plagued by the procrastination bug. You can't wait to head home and unwind for the holidays, but projects, papers, and endless hours of test prep have been weighing heavily on your mind, with no end in sight. Well, cheer up! There's no need to cancel those holiday plans and succumb to a season of gloom and doom under a pile of deadlines just yet. Here are a few tips to get your motivation motor running smoothly 'til the very end:

* Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Planner:
Nothing can drive someone crazier than trying to remember countless tasks, all with varying deadlines and degrees of importance. Then there is always that one thing you forgot to do when you were at the (insert the last place you just were) and now you have to go back. First step to accomplish everything you need to is to write it all down, even the low priority stuff like "buy shampoo." Getting all those to-do lists onto paper will alleviate some space in your brain, which will reduce mental clutter and stress.

* Break it Down into Small Steps:
So now you've written "paint mural" and "study chapters 9-25," but don't think that the anxiety will simply melt away from seeing your list in writing rather than in the memory bank. A big project (or even medium task) can still feel daunting, so it helps to break it down into smaller steps. A list of small steps or tasks also helps when you have an energy level of one (or less), but still want to be productive - find the small tasks on the list that will take you 15 minutes or less and just get them done. You’d be surprised how much you can get done and how accomplished you can feel in 15 minutes!

* Make a Plan:
Now you have a to-do list that is a mile long and more stress than before, right? This is when you take back control of your list. Sit with a cup of coffee, a calendar and your list and figure out a plan of action! Take the tasks, put them in the order they need to be and can be done and set up a schedule for yourself. Make sure to spread it out so that you're not scrambling at the last minute. Don’t forget to make sure you have put in time to enjoy the season and/or a well deserved break from the list (see the next tip). The key to this task? Actually following your schedule!

* Set Your (Break) Goals:
That's right, a break! Even the busiest of students need some down time, especially when you are working on multiple projects at once. Rather than pulling a bunch of all-nighters trying to get everything out of the way, allow yourself enough time to begin your work, and take some time for yourself when you begin to feel frazzled. Want to feel productive on your breaks? Go for a walk in between studying to get in the exercise you couldn’t get in during exam week. Need to lift your mood before moving onto the next book? Try scoping out some holiday lights at Rockefeller Center, or go window shopping at Macy's in Herald Square. NYC in December is like no other place! Don’t miss the chance to enjoy it.

* Still Can't Organize Your Thoughts?
Organize Your Work Space! Your study environment can make or break your productivity level. Trying to calm down and focus on the details of a Biology chapter? That's probably going to be tough if the desk you're sitting at contains old cereal bowls, dirty tissues, and leftover candy wrappers from Halloween. Cleaning out your clutter can help boost your motivation level, and it will feel good to cross something off that aforementioned to-do list!

* You Are Not Alone...In The Dorm!
One of the greatest things about residence life is that there are hundreds of other people going through very similar experiences as you. If you're still feeling desperate and overwhelmed, don't be afraid to talk to a friend, roommate, your RA or classmate. See how they're handling (or not handling) the workload, what they do to study and prepare, and if there are any tasks you could potentially accomplish together. Sometimes just knowing that there are many others out there struggling to push through to the end of the semester makes you feel like less of an academic outsider.

With a goal-setting attitude, determination to complete tasks, and a promise to celebrate your accomplishments, these factors should help you stay afloat and finish the semester successfully, just in time for a little holiday relaxation. Good Luck!