The other day I was talking with some co-workers in the Student Services office. We all were busier than ever (even though Midterm month was supposedly only in October). We joked that there weren’t enough hours in the day, but I think we were just looking at it the wrong way. There are enough hours in a day, there just aren’t enough hours well spent. It’s easy to overlook how much time we waste.
In COM 101, our introductory communications course, we tracked our media involvement over a single week. It’s safe to say a lot of us were pretty shocked by the results so of course the next three or four days we tried cutting back on the media, but now that it’s been a year I’ve noticed that the media has intercepted my free time once again. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that between phone apps, Internet, and TV, I waste hours of my time each week.
Long story short, the Self Control computer app (not all apps are bad) is in full use for me right now and I’m reassessing how I want to spend my time. Goals aren’t just for January. There’s still so much I want to get involved on campus so I’m figuring out how I can cut back on some of the unnecessary stuff, so I can spend my time wisely getting in things I’m excited about.
Goals are great! Everyone comes in to college with this laundry list of things, but it’s easy to get sidetracked. Giving tours each week constantly reminds me how much COM and Boston University have to offer. I recommend everyone take the time to dust off his or her laundry list of goals and get back on track. We’ve only got four years here and before we know it we’ll be out in the real world.
It’s also important to plan ahead. A lot of clubs and organizations that accept most of their new members in the early fall usually have more openings in January. Now is the time to reach out and see if you can get involved next semester. Plus with registration still a week away you can make extracurriculars fit with your classes.
This isn’t to say that it’s not okay to spend the occasional evening in bed watching rom-coms, ‘cause trust me, I still find a way to work that in to my schedule. It’s a balancing act. A little planning goes along way. Set your goals and hold yourself accountable.
