Some event updates:
We’ve been trying to do some fun outings now that it’s a bit warmer and it was spring break. We went for Whirlyball, attended a basketball game, went bouldering, played some D&D, but also recovered and reset during spring break. A lot of us are getting ready for our sober softball league season coming up. There’s also Collegiate Recovery Week in April and we’ve got tons of stuff planned. YAY spring!
And now a word about collegiate recovery....
Hey guys, it’s me again, Elizabeth. I’m so sorry I’m writing two months in a row, but I wasn’t able to have anyone else write for April as it was just midterms and our scholars are extremely busy with actual work… So, you get me again!! Don’t worry, I’ve got someone super cool writing for next month 🙂 Today, I wanted to share a little bit about life as a person working an active recovery program as well as doing school full time. A hard, but extremely rewarding and meaningful existence.
I started in StepUP almost two years ago now, in the fall semester of 2024. I got sober in January of 2024, so by the time fall semester started and I moved in, I was exactly 6 months sober. At first, it was a huge adjustment. I hadn’t attended college in a while, as I had dropped out previously because of my alcoholism. I had to adjust to this new schedule, responsibilities and way of living. Along with being in StepUP and living here, it comes with a commitment to being a part of a community and doing service. We do a lot of things here as a community. We all live here, study, eat, hang in the office, have game nights and more. It can become a bit of a bubble, which can be really good, but also can become a bad thing. The key factor for me was making sure I had community outside of StepUP. Not putting all my eggs in one basket, you know? This meant joining clubs and meeting friends on campus and in the world who weren’t all just a part of StepUP. It also means working my 12-step program and going to those meetings as often as I can. I have 3 regular A.A meetings I attend every week and go to more when time permits. I have a sponsor and keep in contact with her almost every day. This is something that is reiterated a lot here, that StepUP is a supportive community, but in no way is it solely a recovery program. So, for me, it’s very important to have that program on my own, and StepUP is there to supplement that.
My recovery program is definitely my number 1 priority, and after my family, school comes next. It is a collegiate recovery program after all. It is my dream to work in wildlife ecology, and I can only do this by getting my biology degree. I am here paying for school in pursuit of this goal, and I dedicate a lot of time to it. Learning to study and manage your time is huge. Stay proactive and take advantage of any free time you do have. For me, I see school as a full-time job. They say that for every credit you’re taking, you should dedicate 2-3 hours per week of study time for it outside of class. This semester, I’m taking 16 credits (4-5 classes). So, on average, I could dedicate about 32 hours a week for all of my studies. This is almost equal to a 40-hour a week full time job. Then I work about 8-12 hours a week at my part time job. Which does make all my responsibilities equate to a full-time job. And I make sure I limit it to just that amount of time so that I can do all of my other things. The 3x meetings I go to, StepUP things I attend, hobbies, hangout with friends, etc. Yes, it gets pretty busy. Yes, it is hard. But it gets easier. You learn more about yourself and how you function best. Naturally, every semester is a different journey. But I’ll tell you guys this. My life is 100000x better than it ever was when I was drinking. It is such a privilege now to say that the hardest thing I have to deal with on a daily basis is just going to class or studying for a biology exam- before I got sober, I had to deal with MUCH worse.
Even though I’m busy almost every day, it is so rewarding to feel that I actually have a purpose in my life now besides drinking. That I am heading somewhere and that my future is bright. And it is such a gift to do it alongside a community of people who are doing it also. You are never alone. It’s easy to find supportive people. Whether it be in StepUP, on campus or in my recovery community outside of Augsburg. I’m really grateful for this second chance I get at life. Pursuing and getting a degree is a super huge deal, and everyone doing it should be super proud of themselves. It is possible through hard work, as with anything. But like I said, organize your time well, make sure you have limits for yourself, and prioritize your recovery first always. Also, always make sure you are nurturing your own interests and hobbies, hang with friends and have fun. This is freaking college after all!! All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Okay enough, thank you all for reading!!! See you in next month’s blog!
DRAWING CONTEST!! WHO CAN DRAW THE BEST TOUCAN?
MYA VS BEN
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