This week hasn’t been an easy one. For the most part, I’ve had a pretty relaxed start to college life. I know where to find coffee, really that’s the most important thing, and I’ve been able to work ahead on homework while still spending time with friends. So, all in all, it’s been a successful start.

The one thing I have noticed about college is that there’s too much to do, and I tend to want to do it all. In high school, the goal is to do everything. Every extracurricular I chose in high school was written down on a college application, and I always felt that the more activities I did in those four years, the more likely I was to get into the college of my choice. While that isn’t the best mentality, I’m pretty sure it’s the mentality that most students have. So, of course, I entered college with the same thought process: I can do as many extracurriculars as I want. I was definitely wrong. I can’t really blame it all on myself though. Colleges like to showcase their most involved students, student tour guides who are on SGA, play a varsity sport, sing in a choir or a cappella group, and still have time to major in Neuroscience. Because of this, I entered college with the warped idea that I could do anything and everything I wanted. This week I’ve learned that it’s okay to cry uncle, to drop an activity, to give myself time to work and rest and reenergize.

I wish I could say that dropping activities has been easy for me, but I have to be honest and say that dropping something has made me feel rather guilty and disappointed in myself. I kept feeling the need to validate my decisions, when in reality, no one really cared about whether I dropped or not. In fact, most people just wanted me to feel happy and as stress free as possible. I felt like some undercover journalist, interviewing every one I could and asking them about their class schedules, extracurriculars, and student org involvement. I wanted to know how much people slept at night and how long people spent on homework. I’m sure I weirded some of my classmates out with my constant questioning, but if they only knew how much I was panicking, they might have taken pity on me. Really, I wanted to have a perfect formula for college activity. I wanted it to be a math problem. This activity + this sport + these classes + this club = one happy and involved college student.

Like life, it’s never that easy. Every single facet of existence is different for every person. I do have friends who can play two sports, hold a job, and finish their homework before every class. I have friends who run around campus with a change of clothes because they need to workout before heading to orchestra practice. I admire them, and I accept that I don’t have to be just like them. In my own way, I am a very busy person. Maybe to some students, I do a ton of activities, but I know myself well enough now to be realistic. I love giving myself “me” time, twenty minutes to drink tea and read a book. In fact, I don’t function well without those twenty minutes. So, regardless of where you are in life, a high school student trying to impress those Ivies, a college freshman overwhelmed by orgs and classes, a grad student trying to choose a career, or even a senior citizen deciding between bingo night and dominos, I hope you all give yourselves twenty minutes of time. You’ll be much happier for it.