Semester Stress Got You Down? Refresh With a Retreat

Picture this — walking outdoors on a crisp autumn morning, the fallen leaves crunching below moving feet as one’s endless reel of thoughts is brought to a standstill by birds chirping and the wind quietly rippling across the grass. 

It sounds like a scene from a fairytale — a daydream one can only hope to have as they drown out their professor’s 3 p.m. lecture on a perfect fall day. 

But I lived out this daydream, and trust me when I say the peace it holds in written form pales in comparison to the tranquility I felt in the moment. 

The best part is I didn’t need to fly home to my seaside town or drag my friends on a trip camping in the woods to experience it. 

Rather, in my first week of freshman year, sitting on the hard bleachers at Hoyne Field during the Hustle to Hoyne soccer match with a group of friends I had only just met three days prior, we all collectively opened the LUCommunity webpage and signed up for a 360 Retreat hosted at Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC). 

I signed up three months early for the retreat — so early I didn’t know whether the people I signed up with would still be my friends when retreat weekend rolled around or whether I’d even have any interest in going once November arrived. 

Yet there I was, on the first Friday of November in 2024, boarding a school bus to Woodstock, Ill. with my friends and 15 strangers.

Woodstock sounded like no more than a meager town brimming with cornfields, but I promised myself I’d give it a chance. So there I was bumping up and down on a bus en route to the middle of nowhere. 

Today, when I reflect on my first year at Loyola, one of the best decisions I’ve made thus far has been stepping onto the bus to Woodstock. 

The following weekend was one filled with friendships, laughter, peace and reflection. The transition to college hadn’t been the smoothest ride, but by the time I left LUREC on Sunday I could confidently say I was home — Loyola was where I was meant to be. 

Whether a first year adjusting to university life or a senior quickly headed towards a final semester, retreats have a home to offer, a weekend away which may allow for connection with fellow Ramblers and, even with the inner self. 

College can be a never-ending cycle of exams, events and chasing achievements. And it’s not just one student, it’s almost the entire student body. The science backs it up — stress is frequent in 84% of university students, according to the National Institute of Health. 

Sometimes it’s not a matter of wanting to rest or scroll on phones to avoid doing work, students just need a moment to breathe. LUREC can be the fresh breath of air.

My retreat, which is just one of numerous retreats offered at Loyola throughout the year, brought me some of my closest friends and fondest memories. I will always cherish the late nights we all spent together roasting s’mores, playing board games and sharing stories with one another.

I recently ran into one of the leaders of my retreat, and when she asked me if all of us from last year’s 360 retreat were still friends, I gleefully got to share with her, not only were we all still friends, but three of the other girls were now my roommates. 

It’s the perfect opportunity, at any point during one’s college career, to take a moment outside of the hustle and bustle of city life for reflection on personal goals and values. 

The retreat wasn’t just a weekend for me to meet other people, it was an opportunity for me to explore my inner self and the person I hoped to become during my time at Loyola. It’s a time I look back on when I need a reminder of the dreams I’m working towards and the person I’m striving to become.

As the fall semester reaches its peak, life can begin to feel overwhelming and isolating. Put away those textbooks, turn off TikTok and sign up for a retreat instead — it may transform your Loyola experience.