Keep it in Perspective

Classes and clubs and a social life, oh my! College life can be a little overwhelming when you first get on campus as a freshman, but I'm feeling the pressure even as a junior.

One of the blessings that college has is that you are free to do any and every thing that you want. So you want to go to bed at 5 a.m.? Totally fine. Want to eat raw cookie dough for breakfast? Honestly, you haven't lived until you have. Going to the gym instead of doing homework? Mom isn't here to tell you no!

However, it is important to remember to balance everything. Going to bed super late is great until spend the whole next day walking around like a zombie, or worse, sleep through all of your classes. That cookie dough tastes great only the first time around, and your homework won't do itself, no matter how many pushups you do instead!

When I first came to school, I was stoked to become involved. I went to the activities fair and put my name on the email list for about two-thirds of the clubs I saw. You know that saying "Good grades, a social life, and enough sleep, in college you can only pick two"? Well, I didn't think that that applied to me.

Now though, I'm starting to see that while it's not 100 percent true, it does have some meaning to it. I am so glad that I am a part of everything that I am. I've been given some great opportunities, taken classes with amazing professors, and met some awesome people, but at some point, it is okay to say no.

It's taken me two and a half years to realize this, but nobody is perfect. No one can do everything. And that's fine.

College is a time to get a degree and learn skills that will help you in careers for the rest of your life, but it is also a time to learn about yourself. How to live, how to interact in adult relationships with other people, how to effectively manage your time... It's a lot, and it takes time to learn these skills.

Start by thinking about what is truly important to you. Life is short, and it's not worth your time to do things that will not better you as a person, or that you don't enjoy. As important as it is to be involved, your sanity and well-being are more important.

So take a deep breath, step back, and remember: it's okay to take a break every once in a while.