A word to the wise: lighten up.

Twelve and a Chaser:

A man goes into a bar and orders 12 shots of tequila. The bartender looks on as the guy downs one after another. As he slams the tenth one, the bartender says,

“I don’t think you should be drinking those so fast.”

“You would if you had what I have,” the man says, throwing back number 11.

“Well, what is it you have?” The man throws back his last shot and says:

“Fifty cents.”

Regardless of where the joke comes from–it’s from “Maxim”–you should chuckle. As the semester dwindles to an end and stress inevitably falls on our already weak shoulders, take a break.

I am no different, the stress of classes, graduating, trying to find a job that pays the right amount and lets my creative juices flow has began to take its toll. As the stress falls on our shoulders like apples fall to the ground, we must keep our head up.

How can we keep our head up in times of peril?

With humor.

Humor can brighten any day in many forms–jokes, pranks, stories, or any other oral traditions, or anything else that excites the harmonious laughter that bellows from your soul.

What is the point of a said joke and following words?

Cheer up Simpson! I know our classes are important but there are only so many hours you can commit to a couple of credits without going utterly insane and resorting to bad decisions. Going that far to make bad decisions because of your commitments to your credits could be bad for you.

In case you haven’t realized, slackers will get the same degree as you will, will get a job-maybe in the same company, and maybe rise above you.

So, you contemplate why you went through all of those worries, all-nighters, study groups to get on top, just to get your feet get taken out by a person who lived at Simpson for the Zoo drink specials and drunken facebook photos.

Slackers are everywhere, like the whispering maples, with varying ways of slacking-and we are good at it.

So we are stressed-out beyond humanly possible, and we now realize slackers will eventually take over the world, as shown in President George W. Bush.

A word to the wise dear friends of Simpson: lighten up.

Life isn’t going to work out the way you think it is, the grades are always going to be written in your favor, and believe it or not the grades aren’t going to matter in the long run. So relax and enjoy the finer parts of campus.

Skip class. Classes are ultimately optional, so take a personal hour. Take an hour to watch that show you’ve always wanted to watch, grab a cup of coffee with friends, or go and make friends. Whatever you want to do with that moment in your life, knock yourself out.

Watch a bad movie late at night with friends. There are many bad movies, so the possibilities are endless. The idea is to not watch the movie, but hang out friends and have a good time.

Get involved. Getting involved will open your eyes and experience new happenings, and make life beautiful. If you are already involved, you know what I’m talking about. Be careful about getting involved, it could be more stress than enjoyment. Get involved in the right organizations that suit your lifestyle.

Get away. A high school teacher once taught me it’s ok to walk away from a problem and clear your mind. Even if you get away for just a weekend, hours, or weeks, new aspects of life will be opened.

Make a mistake, but don’t dwell. Every bad decision weathers your life for the better. Dwelling on a decision will cause nothing but harm to your self. I am not saying to make a life changing decision, something within good taste. Trust me it’s easy to dwell on a stupid move.

Just in case you don’t believe me, the thoughts of Mickey Rooney, Oscar nominated actor, said it better: “You always pass failure on the way to success.” There are other inspirational quotes, but I liked this one.

Help others. Helping people in unfortunate situations will make you realize just how nice you have it. Going to homeless shelters, helping with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, or Best Buddies will give you a new disposition on life.

There is a stereotypical quote from a movie called Van Wilder, “Don’t take life too seriously, you’ll never get out alive.” The quote is cliché and overused, but Wilder is right. Balance your life between studies and fun and you will get the best experience out of Simpson.