Escaping the Elon Bubble

As students of Elon, we are used to the Friday night dinners at Pandoras, takeout tacos from tangent, and the Magerks nachos fueling our weekends. We’re used to hearing Elon’s downtown referred to as “small but mighty” during college tour passerby’s. We have become normalized to the social pressures that weekends bring to avoid FOMO (fear of missing out) even if we’re burnt out. We go through the motions and by the end of the weekend, we wonder: “where did the weekend go?” If we become accustomed to this particular lifestyle and not stray away from these norms we can often feel ostracized and not part of the Elon community. We have become accustomed to the Elon cycle. This cycle is easy to get sucked in and forget about the outside world. The term coined as the “Elon Bubble” refers to Elon being its own culture, isolated from reality.

Photo Courtesy of Alamance County Visitors Bureau

It’s common knowledge at the point that Elon is a tight knit community. While this community is a reason we love Elon, it’s normal for us to feel trapped and stuck in a repetitive cycle of the same three restaurants, the same social scene, the same people, and the same activities.

If you’re getting to that point in the semester that you’re needing a break from this repetition, it’s okay to do so. It’s okay to take a step back. Getting off campus not only will help you gain new perspectives, but it will also help you cherish your time on campus that much more.

It’s as simple as just changing up your typical routine. Go on a walk, take a hike at a nearby park, pick up a book (we know it’s been a while). Other options include meeting new people, doing things that challenge you, or something as simple as prioritizing your health. If you can’t take an entire weekend away, make plans that stray away from your routine. This will help create new experiences, and feel like the weekend didn’t just magically disappear. Weekends are meant to give us energy and a break from our hectic week. If you find yourself needing that break on the weekend, it’s okay to take a step back and switch up your typical weekend routine.

If you have tips on how to stray away from the typical Elon weekend, write to @theedgemag.