It has become more than a bit of a cottage industry these days, helping students cope with stress. In my day a few beers and a couple of smokes seemed to do the trick, but it seems millennials are looking for something a bit more structured. Universities are falling over themselves to offer the poor darlings therapy dog sessions, mindfulness meetings and even designated quiet areas, what we used to call libraries.
Radboud University in the Dutch city of Nijmegen has gone one better by constructing an open grave complete with blanket and the inevitable yoga mat. Sessions last between 30 minutes and 3 hours a stretch. So popular is the concept that students are dying to use it and there is now a lengthy waiting list.
Once inside, you are encouraged to meditate on the meaning of life and the futility of your existence. The chaplain claims that it is making the youngsters appreciate their time on earth more.
They may just have a point. If after lying in an open grave for an hour you conclude that your mortal existence is pretty futile, then, hey, what are a few exams? You may as well go out and enjoy yourself. Carpe diem, after all.
But going out can be another source of stress; what to wear? Fortunately, help is at hand, courtesy of Northamptonshire County Council’s adult learning department. Costing just £15 and running in February 2020, the course promises “practical demonstrations on how to accessorise outfits” and PowerPoint lectures and group discussions on how to wear shoes, belts, bags, jewellery, and scarves.
Hurry now, spaces are limited.
windowthroughtime 