Hurricanes are an ever-present threat, or as some would say a nuisance, in the place FMU calls home. Large or small, no matter the size, hurricanes are a part of life this time of year in South Carolina. Hurricanes for long-time local South Carolinians are more of an annual expectation like Christmas or Thanksgiving.  It may not always be the same but it will always be there. Those who haven’t lived long in South Carolina often seem to view hurricanes as either huge survivable events or nothing more than something that pops up on the news from time to time. No matter how long you’ve lived in this area of the South, as soon as you start college, hurricanes begin to mean something totally different than they did before.

Hurricanes have a certain effect on college students as opposed to the average Joe who has to worry about all the bread, milk and eggs being gone from Walmart for a week or two. When a hurricane hits, it affects students in a number of ways, depending on their professors and course load. Hurricanes are a terrible tragedy that is, unfortunately, a fairly regular occurrence in this area; but for some students, there is at least a very small silver lining.

On one hand, hurricanes cause enormous amounts of damage in whatever path they take. On the other hand, they often are not as troublesome as projected for the FMU community. Hurricanes being less of a threat than anticipated is the silver lining for students across the board. No one would ever wish or hope for a hurricane, not even on their worst days. The only hope is that with the hurricane comes the consolation prize of a few days of rest from the hustle and bustle of classes.

A break from classes is a godsend when the weeks all start to run together and there just aren’t enough hours in the day. The silver lining of having a day or two to catch up on that reading assignment that you have not had the chance to finish. A day off of classes just to catch up on chores or even sleep is something some students count on during the fall semester. A few days break and a little more time to spend on assignments and responsibilities has its own obvious rewards, but having days off seems to come with its own hidden drawbacks.

Students who count on having a few days off are in danger of falling behind or turning in projects late because they thought they would have more time. Anticipating a safety net without one actually being there to catch you can leave you landing right on your butt in the worst way. Having time off from classes is dangerous, no matter the reason, because the temptation to take too many naps with a gross lack of any actual schoolwork getting completed is too strong. Unforeseen breaks of any type never seem to be as kind to professors as they are to students. Sure, professors may get a few days of not having to get up early each morning for a change, but at the same time they are also handed the task of having to pack a delicately balanced syllabus into a smaller time frame, which never fails to be stressful.

In short, always look for the silver lining in any and all situations, even when it doesn’t seem like it is there; and always take full advantage of any opportunity to do your best. In the hardest of storms, just keep your eyes open and you’ll see that there is a silver lining ready to give you a chance. All you have to do is be willing to give it a shot.