In a world that revolves around technology, sometimes it is difficult to imagine what there is to do when we don’t have access to something we all take for granted. With winter months nearing, it’s important to understand that power outages do happen. While it may be a nuisance, in the case that there is a simple power outage on campus, there is no need to worry. Manchester University takes the safety and health of students very seriously, so that isn’t an aspect that most MU students fear during power outages. What they do fear, though, is the excruciating boredom that comes with living without the advanced technology that we have grown up with and gotten used to. So, whether it’s because of natural causes or something as inconvenient and utterly annoying as electrical maintenance/repairs, ease your mind during the next power outage by trying some of these activities:

1) Read a Good Book

Start that new book that you’ve been dying to read but just haven’t seem to find the time lately to do so yet! Contrary to common belief, there are still people that enjoy reading for leisure, and there are also still books that don’t require a tablet or an App Store to access. After all, we are at a college, so the excuse of lacking resources won’t apply here. And yes, you can even try actually doing your assigned reading for class (for once) during this down time. A list of the most popular books out right now can be found here, just in case of the unlikely chances that a random power outage would unexpectedly appear in the very near future.

2) Be Social!

In the instance of a non-threatening power outage situation, while annoyance levels may be high, the levels of danger are at zero, so there is no reason to hide in a shell. As a residential campus, Manchester provides its students with a plethora of neighbors to chat with. Whether it’s Garver or Helman, each hall will have a variety of Spartans for you to relax with, so go meet some new friends! Being social during a power outage can involve anything from catching up with the latest gossip, to playing your favorite board game or card game.

3) Do Your Body a Favor

You never really seem to get a chance to catch your breath during college, which means that for a lot us, we get sucked into the rat race of life and often times neglect our bodies. In a high-stress environment like college life, exercise can be extremely beneficial for peace of mind, confidence, and mainly just overall health. When we forget to take care of our bodies, it just slows us down even more, which is the last thing students can afford with everything going on. Without the distraction of electronics, there is no better time for a run than during a power outage. Considering what the cause of the outage is and weather-permitting, this could be a great opportunity to get some cardio in. For those who rather live without power for the rest of your life than even think about putting running shoes on, there is a less-sweaty alternative. While running may be a mental getaway for some, it can also be a mental nightmare for others. That’s okay, because if you prefer to ease your mind in another way, consider planning out the week ahead. By sitting down and physically writing out when certain assignments are due, where you have to be at certain times, and actually constructing an hourly schedule of your week, you will be able to remove some of the stress that you would’ve had otherwise. Empty weekly schedule templates can always be found in the Success Center, or yearly planners can be purchased in the bookstore. So, whether it be going on a jog or filling in a planner, a power outage may present an excellent opportunity to take advantage of some alone time and get your mind right. 

Nathan Timmerman ’18 is a marketing and sales double major and entrepreneurship minor. Aside from his involvement in the College of Business, he enjoys volunteering in his free time. Lord willing, Nathan’s post-graduation plan is to build his career in the business industry.