I hate it when people tell me to relax. Even if they mean it out of the goodness of their hearts, it still makes my blood boil. I believe I am this way because I want to do everything at once. I feel like if I don’t do it today I will never get it done.
This is the right attitude to have if you want to die an early death due to stress and high blood pressure. Being a college student can only escalate the anxiety to new heights.
Attending college is like going to the buffet at Golden Corral. The choices are endless and it is easy to become overwhelmed. Do I have the pizza or the steak? What about steak and pizza? Will the person next to me think I have tape worms because I am eating so much? This is the part when someone tells you to “relax.”
Attending college gives an individual the ability to stretch their wings.
College students have opportunities that few people get to encounter. At orientation they always tell you to “get involved” and “be an active member on campus,” but they do not tell you how to manage it all.
Freshmen get enthralled with the various pamphlets and info sessions about campus organizations, but can’t figure out which one to pick. They then come to what sounds like the simplest solution: joining them all. This is a very bad idea.
The truth is, as human beings, we can only do so much. There are only so many hours in a day and we have only so much energy we can expend. No one can do everything because, sadly, we attend N.C. State, not the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The idea of time management must come into play.
Joining every organization under the sun is not a good move because it can negatively affect your grades. It is true that learning is about more than getting a letter grade, but graduate schools and future employers may not see it like this. Everything that is done now should be moving you in a positive direction. Putting too much on your plate can have disastrous consequences.
Along with slipping grades, being too involved will start to show in the organizations that you are a part of. People are not stupid and they can tell when you’re not pulling your weight. They are all going to want your full commitment and that is something you will not be able to give. I know from experience, this isn’t a pretty picture.
The easiest way to get out of the time management jam is to narrow down what is most important to you. If you want to continue your education with graduate studies, join a club that is relevant to your major. They are bound to have faculty and community connections. If you enjoy sports, join an intramural team. Sororities and fraternities are also great ways to network and meet people. Pick an organization or two that goes along with your values and future plans.
Unless you are Mariah Carey or Lindsay Lohan, it will be hard for you to glamorize your nervous breakdown. So, don’t have one. Find out what matters the most to you and dedicate yourself to it. If you focus on what you care the most about, you won’t have to hear “you need to relax” ever again.
