You’re probably just going to skim this. Unless you’re my editor, nobody, at least on this campus, has enough time to fully read this whole piece. As college students, we are expected to do a little bit of everything and stay busy.
Focus on your academics, they say, but college is also the best time to make lifelong friends. So that means join Greek life and host/attend events to socialize. But also, you need to take on a part-time job to be able to live comfortably, but you also need to focus on your sport because they’re also paying you to be there. But also, college is a time for building your resume, so internships and volunteer work are crucial. Make sure you double-check your email inbox, though; you probably missed something important. You should probably apply to be a CA to serve your peers, but you should also tutor other students or be a TA for the class as well. But then again, you should focus on yourself. Get eight hours of sleep every night and have some “me” time. And you should also still call home and keep in touch with your family and old friends; that’s the nice thing to do, of course. But you should still be able to study and practice for your vocal lessons that are tomorrow and the recital that is next week. But to stay healthy, you need to work out often if you aren’t an athlete; just don’t get injured because that’ll waste a lot of your precious time. Also, make sure you eat healthy; that means trips to Walmart and extra cash to buy the newest, most organic, fat-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, super protein-packed snack. If not, you’ll probably get sick, and that will extinguish whatever was left of your motivation to get to class and make every day ten times worse. And also keep your room neat & tidy to prevent bugs and gross smells. Did you check your emails yet? Do your laundry even though someone has definitely left an unclaimed load of whity tighties in the washer that definitely need another go around. Oh, and please don’t forget to take a shower and brush your teeth. That’s very important. It’s the best time of your life, and you don’t want to waste it. You’re only young once. But also do your homework and extra credit readings. Are you still reading this? Or do you have class to get to?
I’m amazed you got this far. Am I not cutting into your “me” time? I got stressed out just writing that last paragraph. This isn’t a paper hating on staying involved. This is a paper warning busy people of busy culture. I’ll hold your hand when I say this: saying “no” to something does not mean you are incapable of doing something. Saying “no” means you prioritize things you have already committed to, things you value more. While everything above is important in some way, it does not mean you need to do them all. It’s impossible. Let’s be honest, if time travel were invented, people-pleasers like me would use it to get to all of the commitments they couldn’t say no to. After leaving my last year of high school feeling drained every night and struggling to make it to the school parking lot by 8 a.m., my otherwise optimistic personality took a dwindle. People became more irritating than usual. Classes became more difficult than usual. Getting up became harder than usual. I was so used to putting 100% into everything that I could barely give 100% to myself each morning.
In college, I wanted to change that. Instead of involving myself in every little thing that piqued my interest, I chose three that aligned with my values. Just three. I can still get up in the morning. I haven’t missed my 8 a.m. yet. I haven’t even been late yet. I actually get up before 9 a.m., even if my class isn’t until 11 a.m. Of course, there are mornings when I sleep a little extra, eat a little extra, lose motivation or have a headache. But those phases haven’t become a lifestyle. I can dress a little nicer. Put a little more effort into my appearance. Enjoy my lunch break a little more. Of course, I am speaking as a freshman, where many doors are yet to open. However, I still believe that putting 100% into a few things is better than putting 50% into a lot.
No one is perfect, so don’t expect yourself to be.
