As a college student, we are bombarded with classes, internships, clubs and social activities. However, in addition to all of this, we are pressured by society to do as much as we can to get the best job we can. This makes our present lives extremely busy and stressful in addition to the unclear future we have. Because of this, many students tend to take on more than they can handle. This happens to many college students when we are unsure of everything and just take every opportunity out there.
From personal experience, there are many instances where I took an opportunity that I knew I couldn't balance with my existing workload. Especially, looking at everyone around me doing the most they can, I feel pressured to do more. However, I realized that this was a mistake and that everyone has their own pace that they should take. Rather than feeling pressured by everyone around you, you need to really think for yourself of what you want to do and how much you can handle. Knowing that I made this mistake, I had to live with my decisions and stressed a lot during the time I took on too much work than I could handle. Now that I learned what was best for me, I realized that I am taking everything at my own pace and honestly, although I am still stressed from school and work, I feel a lot better knowing my limits.
I also saw this with a lot of my friends and peers. We were all struggling with all the responsibilities we took on and in the end, we all ended up being overworked and tired to do anything else. But not only do we get tired and stressed from all our responsibilities, but some end up switching majors or careers. This only creates more stress because all of the experiences and internships we did are not that relevant if we end up switching. Before anything, as students, we need to think carefully and hard about the decisions we make and the responsibilities we end up taking on.
A good advice that I can give to those just entering college or those in the early years is to never feel pressured by everyone around you. Also, another piece of advice is to take some time to yourself to carefully think about your future and what's best for you. These two pieces are extremely important in becoming less stressed during college and finding your true career passion. I know, as a junior in undergraduate, that things will only get more difficult and faster. With my college life almost coming to an end, there are many things to keep in mind and consider when deciding my future. Because of this, you need to take the time for yourself earlier when you have less to think about. This way, you will be more prepared of what is coming ahead of you and less stressed about your workload, internships and social life.
