It’s that time of the year again, when the days are cold, the nights are colder, and the sun seems to be a mere figment of the imagination. Prepare yourselves for the horrors of wet socks, wind-whipped hair, and numb fingers. It’s surprising to me how quickly the tune has changed, because just a few weeks ago all people could talk about was how much they hated the heat. If I had a dollar for every, “I just want to wear my sweaters!” that I heard last month, I’d be on a plane to Hawaii instead of slaving away in Orgo. Well, here we are folks, Sweater Weather! And all I hear are complaints. It’s getting even older than before.Yes, Ithaca weather is unpredictable and at times really ugly, but this can’t come as a surprise. If you simply need to get your fix of complaining, here are five topics more worthy of your negative energy than the weather. After all, variety in your complaints is the spice of life.
1Work
This one’s a Cornell Complaint staple, but it’s one that at least varies from day to day. Groaning about your work is cathartic, and you’re bound to have lots of friends sympathizing with you. They might even have advice to offer. And if they don’t, you can blow off some steam ranting about your upcoming paper and the prelim that just murdered you.
2Dorm Bathrooms
Again, this one’s super relatable. Regardless of the time or day, you’re bound to find something so disgusting it enrages you in your hall bathroom. If you’re like me, you’ll get to wake up each day and wonder if the screwy showerhead is going to snap off as it has several times this year, creating a geyser the likes of which the world has never seen. Make the experience a therapeutic one and get in your daily dose of whining.
3Blunt Plastic Knives at the Dining Halls
There are few things that annoy me more than trying to cut my food with a knife that does not work. I get to maim my fingers and look like a wild animal eating its kill in the middle of the dining hall all at once.
4Phone Fears
Maybe this is just me, but there are so many places on campus that strike fear in my heart because I imagine dropping my phone. Any time I cross a bridge over the gorges, I hold my phone tightly, imagining it somehow falling from my clutches into the sweeping waters below. And don’t even get me started on the trash chute. Can you even get your phone back if it’s dropped into the trash compactor?
5Awkward Social Interactions
I love listening to people complain about their awkward moments because it reminds me that we’re all in the same boat! Did you trip over a desk in front of your campus crush, let a professor call you the wrong name for an hour, or get stuck in a too-long bus convo with a total stranger? Then I want to hear about it!
It’s going to be a long winter, and given that I’m already sick of hearing about weather problems, it’s time to shift the focus to more entertaining and diverse problems. Complaining is healthy, but it doesn’t have to be boring for those who listen to you. When you choose more interesting issues to spiritedly rant about, you’re guaranteed to get responses better than, “Yeah, it is really cold.”
