You know the feeling well: you look at the clock on your desk and the back-lit letters glare back at you. It's long past midnight, your eyelids are closing, and you aren't sure when it got so late but suddenly the day is coming to an end. Where did the time go? you ask yourself.

I once read a quote in a self-help book that said that the time that you dedicate to certain things defines who you will become. The book was a dusty hardcover that I grabbed of the shelf of a thrift store, and I couldn't remember the name of it if I tried, but this quote has been on my mind for quite some time. When I first read it, I didn't fully grasp the meaning behind the message. But now that I'm a college student struggling to balance my education, social life, and personal well-being, I'm starting to understand the significance of time management and self-control.

Going from high school to college, I had a bit of shell shock because I did not know that there could possibly be so many things to do in one place. This is especially true of Michigan State, where you would have to live under The Rock to not know of at least one event going on during any given day. Campus is bustling at all times, from welcome week until final exams. There is a happy hum of students on the way to classes and club meetings, chatting about boy problems and calculus problems alike. There are always things being done, always things to do.

I am the type of person who will say "yes" to doing just about anything. I love filling my schedule to the brim with lunch plans, club meetings, social events, you name it. Do I want to grab food after class with my friends from chemistry? Yes. Will I be at the Spartans Rebuilding Michigan volunteer event next week? You bet. Do I have time to talk to my best friend on the phone about her boy problems even though I have a calculus test tomorrow morning? I'm all ears. I've always prided myself on being the girl that people can turn to when they need a helping hand or shoulder to cry on.

But sometimes it becomes too much. There are weeks when I find myself with less and less energy because I try to juggle all of my various responsibilities in my life.

Now I'm not saying that I advocate ignoring your responsibilities and become a selfish introvert. Being an active member in relationships, friendships, sports teams, clubs, classes, and other activities is very important. It is equally important, however, to balance your time spent doing these things and your time spent maintaining your own well-being. Being mentally and emotionally healthy is especially important in college, where mental health problems are quite common among students

Sometimes its important to say "no". You are not required to do anything that you don't want to do. If you have a massive project deadline approaching and you don't have time to swing by the cafeteria with your friends, don't. On the other hand, if you're having family issues and need to skip out on a Running Club meeting for a vent session with your roommate, do it. The moral of the story is that you can't please everyone, and if you try, it'll end in self-destruction.

Invest your time and energy into things that are meaningful to you. If something doesn't make you happy or bring you one step closer to fulfilling your goals, then why are you spending precious moments of your life on it? The time you spend doing things really adds up. As cliche and overused as the saying is, it's meaning is true: life is too short. Make sure you spend time doing things that make you happy.