Just a few days ago, I was approached and asked if I wanted to be a writer for Odyssey. It took me a minute to process this, but I took it right away. I never expected to be asked to do something like this. This was another opportunity for to be involved, and it finally came to me.

I used to wonder how so many others were given a really cool opportunity or job, but not me. But as more opportunities began coming to me later on, I realized that it was because I wasn’t being patient enough. I was expecting immediate action. Now that I have an on-campus job and am a new member or the Saint Martin's Odyssey Online Community, I realize that I was able to be involved, it was just a matter of time.

Just because you aren’t given any leadership opportunities in your first year, doesn’t mean that you aren’t being involved. Just because everyone is telling you that you have to act quick and be involved in the campus life right away, doesn’t mean you should. It is perfectly okay to not be immediately involved in your first few weeks of college.

Don’t overload yourself too much. While it is perfectly fine to be applying for positions and jobs right away, don’t worry too much about getting into as many positions as possible. People give you opportunities to be involved when they know you. They want to see you as you are, not by how many activities and clubs you’re in.

It is hard to not be involved in many clubs and I always worry about not being as involved as the others around me, but I have to keep on reminding myself not to compare myself to others. We all have a different pace, and I want to remind you not to compare yourself to others because you are not them. Being involved in your freshman year requires you to actively be a part of the college community, but it also requires you to be patient.