It is a universal truth in life that there will never be enough time for us to do everything we want. Whether you're in high school, college, or the real world, there will always be moments where you have to chose between two things you really want.

No one likes these moments, we would all rather be able to do anything and everything we want, but there just aren't enough hours in the day for that. We can't possibly go to school, do homework, stop by that club meeting, go to rehearsal, eat, and get eight hours of sleep. As an overachiever, I try to fit everything in. I am constantly working on a project, at practice, going to class, and trying to keep up with my laundry.

When I left for college people warned me that I shouldn't over commit. But of course, here we are three months later and I'm on too many email lists to count. That being said, I have had to pick and chose where to invest my time.

Prioritizing certain clubs over others is never fun, but you have to take a step back and think about what you enjoy and what you actually have time for. Another key thing to prioritize is sleep. While it isn't the end of the world if you have to stay up until 2 a.m. writing a paper once a semester, don't make a habit of it. Sleep is essential to every other aspect of your life.

So if you have to stay in one night instead of going out with your friends, do it.

The key to balancing school and a social life is knowing your limits. You should be able to take a step back and realize when you're trying to do too much. When this happens, and it will happen, think about what you enjoy the most and what you can reasonably fit into your schedule.

This decision making process should be mostly internal.

Just because your best friend is in every club on campus, doesn't mean you have to be. Likewise, if your friends aren't as involved as you are, don't feel like you have to cut down on other commitments so you cab hang out with them more. You are the only one who fully understands your schedule and what you want to do, so don't let someone else dictate what you do.

That being said, take people's advice with a grain of salt. I'm sure they have your best interest at heart, and if they are really concerned, you should try to get out of your head and look at things from their perspectives.

But when it comes down to it, if you think you can handle that extra meeting every week, do it.

Don't let other people's thoughts or actions control what you do. If you listen to the hesitant voices that question what you can achieve, you'll never push yourself hard enough to discover how far you cab go.