Everyone knows about (or I at least hope everyone is aware of) the hilarious NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation" and its iconic female lead Leslie Knope, Personally, I cannot put into words how much I love this show, or this beloved character, for that matter. She can seem a little overbearing or simply too much at times with her involvement in her workplace or her friends' endeavors, but she overall is such a good person and everything I strive to be as a woman in her dream career. In a nutshell, Leslie is the sh*t.
With this being said, Leslie embodies many moods and innermost thoughts of a lot of people's everyday lives. There are countless amounts of tweets and gifs with Leslie's face plastered on it with a silly but super relatable caption included, proving just how meaningful Leslie is to so many. Since the beginning of a new school year is right around the corner, why not kick off a great semester with some Knope? Go grab some waffles and your overpriced textbooks- it's time to get relatable!
When school creeps back up on you...
Although most of us college kids have had four months of summer vacation and have no right to complain, we still tend to have the semester scaries creep up on us. We've had plenty of time to prepare, but did any of us really?
Then you realize that you have done nothing productive or beneficial all summer to get you ready for this semester.
GiphySpeaking of preparation and the fact that you probably have done nothing, this fact does not comfort you at all. It may seem funny at first and not a big deal, but this is not going to help you in the long run and you'll hate yourself for it. It's time to buckle up and stop procrastinating!
And we all know this is going to be you when you wake up that first morning of classes...
Some people have to wake up pretty early to attend eight am classes (commuters- you feel me on this one) while others may not even have classes until nighttime, but the fact of the matter is that you're going to have to leave the comfort of your bed and the indoors at some point.
...and you'll probably feel exactly like this, or your brain for that matter.
Just like here where Leslie is trying really hard to turn a pit into a park but ends up tumbling into it, you're just trying to get yourself back into school mode. Your brain and body are still on that summer routine, and when the time has come to will yourself to pay attention and get yourself to class, it all just feels like you're tumbling (literally) into the new semester.
You decide to suck it up, though, because this will be YOUR year!
After all the negativity and pulling yourself together, you're going to want to be positive and persevere through the sadness that relaxation time is over. Plug in your headphones, do some stretches and pump yourself up to be your best self this semester.
You won't just hype up yourself, but also your friends who need a boost, too.
The positivity and motivation is so real that you find yourself radiating it onto your friends at your school and even over Snapchat to your friends that are away. No matter how random or weirdly combined the words are, as long as its positive and inspiring, where can you go wrong with lifting your friends up and taking them with you on this awesome journey?
All jokes aside, though, this is how you really feel about school:
Even through all this good energy, though, you still have those bad vibes surrounding your thoughts pertaining to going to class. Half of your brain wants to go, of course, because this leads you closer to living your dreams and pursuing your future career and- of course- you're paying for it. On the other hand, though, you also just want to lay in bed and deciding whether you just want to start making a brand for yourself on Youtube instead.
While you're still debating whether you really want to drop out or not, you also come to your senses about what's really important.
GiphySelf-motivation plays such a big factor in a college education, and a lot of people forget about this. Follow Leslie's lead and leave yourself a voice message reassuring yourself that everything will be okay during the rough parts of the semester, because if you've done the college thing before, you know you're going to need this several times in the near future.
Then you finally pull yourself together and remember why this is all worth it in the first place.
Yes- the start of a new semester can be annoying and college is a daunting endeavor for anybody, but for anyone who wants a career requiring a degree, they know all the hardships are worth it. Leslie's statement here rings true; you may not see it or accept this fact every time you are reminded of it, but you know that pursuing a college education is the right path to take for yourself.
Finally, you hope so bad that this semester will be your best yet.
With every semester comes new classes and obstacles to overcome, but that just means bigger and better things are coming. You grow with every new experience you have, and that only makes life more enjoyable and meaningful. College is there for all of these reasons, and it's up to you to make it the best adventure you can. Make this semester your best one yet!
man running in forestPhoto by 
