College is a puzzle: you have to put the pieces in perfectly to see the picture. But sometimes you have pieces left over. And no matter how hard you try, they just won’t fit. Clubs and activities are integral parts of the college puzzle and participating in them is great until you have to start sacrificing some things for others. Why is it so easy to get involved, but so hard to keep your head, heart, and health happy while you do? There's a constant battle to find a balance between what you want to do, and what you have to do. If any of these things apply to you, your puzzle might be a little...well, imperfect, to say the least.
1. You average 5 hours of sleep a night, in a good week.
And just getting that precious 5 hours is such a rarity that you often find yourself struggling to fall asleep because your subconscious is telling you to get up and finish your shit.
2. You set more than 4 alarms every morning.
And still manage to sleep through them all, but naps keep you going. That’s what the quiet section of the library is for.
3. You drink more caffeinated beverages than water.
It's called an iced coffee for a reason. Ice keeps you hydrated, duh.
4. Your meal plan is running low.
Because you haven’t been grocery shopping in a monthIn fact, the only food left in your house is stale cereal and expired cheese sticks. Delicious.
5. You wear a hat 3 days out of every week.
Because who has time to do their hair every day? The extra 5 minutes saved is an extra 5 minutes of sleep, and that's much more valuable than luscious locks.
6. Your room is almost always a mess.
It’s a metaphor for how your life is going...and looks like a tornado came through, left, and came back.
7. You can't remember the last time you did laundry.
...and wonder why you haven’t run out of clean clothes yet... Interesting.
8. You’re involved in several on/off campus organizations and might even have a part-time job.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take...so take them all because you'll regret it if you don't" - An over-achiever.
9. You have to restrain yourself from joining even more clubs...
Because 4 is just not enough.
10. ... and from running for exec roles in all of them.
But my leadership skills will greatly benefit the organization. And the position will greatly benefit my resume. So I should be president of everything.
11. You take 18 credits every semester.
Because you swear you can handle it, even though you would probably still drown in 9.12. You forget to do assignments.
And become that student, begging for extra credit come finals week.
13. You can pull an all-nighter like it’s nothing.
Sleep is for the weak.
14. You’ve skipped a class to study for a test in another class.
You probably don’t know where your grades stand, either. Finals week should be good.
15. You literally write time for “fun” into your planner like it’s an assignment.
Does it really count if you don’t get to cross it off your to-do list?
16. You spend more time in the library than you do at home.
And only leave when they kick you out. You’d pay rent there if they would accept it.
17. You keep a drugstore in your backpack.
With your schedule, getting sick is NOT an option. Emergen-C shots, anyone?
18. You haven’t been to the gym since the first week of classes.
“Yea mom, I worked out..last month...or maybe it was last semester...”
19. You don’t remember the last time you ate a vegetable.
Sometimes you don’t even eat lunch until 4 in the afternoon. Granola bars and Starbucks snacks will suffice.
20. You have so many ideas for fun activities but can’t commit to any of them.
Yikes. It’s important to realize that you are just one person. It’s literally impossible to take on everything at once. Doing too much will diminish the quality of work that you put in, but more than that, it will take a toll on your own well-being. Sometimes we need to step back and re-evaluate our involvement. Is it making you happy? Is it making you a better person? If not, maybe it's time to make a change. Keep your priorities in check, remember that saying "no" to something is ok, and the puzzle pieces might just fit.
