We hope this Staff Editorial can serve as a reminder that this winter break, all students deserve to take time to rest and acknowledge everything they’ve accomplished this past semester.

Roommate disagreements lead to awkward conversations that we naturally avoid, but complaining to your friends in hushed voices in the dining hall won’t help your situation.

There is nothing wrong with looking for sameness. It’s natural. But we don’t grow and learn about the world when we’re around similar people to us. Instead, we grow around those who are radically different.

As students, landlords will often push us around because they think we do not know better, so don’t forget to advocate for yourself.

We have to be as conscious of our words as we are of our volume. It’s tempting to spill the tea — I get it, it’s a temptation for me, too. We don’t know how certain subjects make people feel, but we can at least try to understand when and where to discuss private matters.

We are facing a deficit of boredom. On a walk from Siegle Hall all the way to Lopata, the majority of students are preoccupied with some type of earbud or over-the-ear headphone activity. Music. Podcasts. Calls. When we’re not doing that, we’re doing homework, socializing, working, and participating in club activities.

Often, in order to apply to clubs, prospective members are expected to have the skills that clubs should be teaching them to develop. Student organizations should provide members with the toolbox they need to succeed within their community. Activities need to meet students where they’re at, whether that be supporting an already advanced member or a complete novice.

I wrote this article to be a reminder — overwhelmed twentysomething to overwhelmed probably-twentysomething — that you don’t have to have all of the answers.

Welcome to WashU! This article is a primer for incoming first-years to make the most of their academic experience here.

It’s much easier to stay quiet than say something real, to swipe away rather than risk real rejection. But what if taking the path of least resistance is the thing actively preventing us from finding the love we have always wanted?