WRIGHT LIFE: National Hobby Month and WSU | Graphic by Grace Merkle
January marks National Hobby Month on the Wright State University (WSU) campus. Here are the top five hobbies for college students to try.
Meditation
The WSU campus has an endless multitude of quiet corners, comfy chairs and secluded spots to indulge in a relaxing meditation session. Meditation has been scientifically studied for students in conjunction with improved mental acuity, focus, and motivation.
WSU’s radio station WWSU 106.9 offers a guided meditation show on Sunday afternoons from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Jan. 23, 2022, to May 6, 2022.
YouTube is a useful resource for any beginners in the art of meditation, the internet resource is full of self-guided meditation tutorials and calming background noises to distance oneself from the stress of college life.
Adult coloring books
Coloring is one of the most tried and true relaxation techniques over the past handful of centuries. Coloring has shown to be an asset of art therapy techniques, and to alleviate symptoms of anxiety.
In an article by Jeremy Carter, Dr. Stan Rodski, a neuropsychologist who has created his own line of adult coloring books, explains this phenomenon.
“We now have technology that can measure brainwaves and heart rhythms, the most amazing thing occurs [while coloring], the beats per minute and brain waves relax. When you have things that you can predict will happen in a certain way, it is calming for us,” Dr. Stan Rodski said.
Photography
The WSU campuses consist of 730 acres to explore and capture through the lens of a camera. The main campus is boxed in by stunning Metroparks and forests for the avid student photographer to explore as well.
Many student organizations rely on student photographers as well as employ them for their services. There is also an array of classes in photography on the class roster for WSU.
“It’s a good hobby to have because it shows your perception of the world through your photos,” senior African Studies major Taylor Morgan said.
Strategic Games
One of the most common hobbies is the wide world of strategic mind games. From the weekly crossword to the strategic role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons (DND), students come together to play, compete and challenge their minds with strategy games.
“Games are helpful to me to decompress at the end of the day,” Zoe Skultety, a second-year graduate student in psychology said.
Learning a new Language
WSU has a wide array of diversity in the languages spoken on campus, and an assemblage of student-led language clubs for Chinese, Spanish, German, French and Arabic.
“I’m learning Hebrew right now, it’s time-consuming but it’s definitely worth it. It could be just a fun pastime, explore your own culture, or a culture that you're interested in,” senior English literature major Josh Tippui said.
