Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been the type of person who always gets involved with everything possible. Perhaps it’s because of my extreme FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), but I’ve always tried to join every student group that seemed interesting to me. I remember attending Splash last year for the first time and signing up for way too many clubs (I’m still unsure of how to remove myself from most of their email lists).
However, balancing the millions of things us college students have going on in our lives can be tremendously difficult at times. Despite having decent time management skills, I still found myself overwhelmed by the number of meetings and events I had to attend. Thus, a major lesson I learned was how to quit things. It may seem simple, but I believe many of us forget that quitting things is an option.
Now, by no means do I think you shouldn’t get involved with student groups or internships. I believe the exact opposite. Joining WTBU made me find my passion for journalism, and my current internship has given me a tremendous amount of real-world knowledge. However, balancing extracurriculars, classes, and other responsibilities can be overwhelming at times. I’ve learned that it’s ok to not get involved with every single student group that you’re interested in. I’ve taken the time to devote more time to things I’m truly passionate about rather than spreading myself thin across a bunch of different groups.
The best piece of advice I can give is to get involved with things that seem interesting, but know that you always have the option to quit. Don’t beat yourself up over it or worry about letting others down. At least for me, investing my time in the things I love has made me much happier. Hopefully the same works out for you.
