As college students, we hear it all of the time. Oh, you’re only taking 12 credits, why aren’t you taking more? Your classes don’t seem that hard, why don’t you pick up another one or join a club? Why don’t do you any extra curricular activities? You wouldn’t be so tired if you didn’t go out on the weekends and spent that time doing your homework. Grad schools want to see that you were in a lot of clubs and got good grades.

And so on. It needs to stop. As the person who knows myself and my capabilities best, aren’t I the best person to decide that my schedule is full enough and not to add another class or club? Stop telling me that overexerting myself and trying to do too much is the only way I’ll get a good job or get accepted into grad school. Stop romanticizing overexertion.

It seems that from the time we enter high school, the lack of sleep and early mornings turn us into chronically tired individuals and it just gets worse in college. Yet, parents, teachers, counsellors are telling us that they’re preparing us for the real world. Well, from what I’ve understood about the real world, I’m not expected to join multiple clubs just to boost my resume and do a minimum of six hours of homework per night on top of everything else. I’m not expected to weigh an activity I want to join but has no added resume value against an activity I’m not enthusiastic about but will look good to a future employer. Instead, college students are expected to join every club on campus, get good grades, and be involved in every community service event that pops up. That’s not reasonable.

When did college turn into something that you attend for four years for the sole purpose of building a long resume at the end? Why is there pressure to do everything possible and make sure that you keep your grades up at the same time? College isn’t easy. It’s a struggle to balance school work, extra activities, leisure, and sleep. Yet, today students are told that sleep is the first thing that should go. Why is it so terrible for me to drop one club to make time to ensure I get my homework done that night? Why is it so desirable that I’m constantly overworked, exhausted, and addicted to caffeine? Why do adults take your admittance of being chronically exhausted as a “sign of working hard” and not a sign of being overworked? Why does no one see a problem with this?

College is supposed to be the greatest four years of your life. I’m supposed to be able to join every club freshman year and decide where I fit in and what I enjoy outside of an academic setting. I’m supposed to meet new people from all over the country and hang out with them. I understand that college is expensive and an investment in my future, but that doesn’t mean that I have to sacrifice sleep and free time to join every club that fits into my schedule just as an attempt to make my resume look better. And it especially doesn’t mean that it’s okay for anyone to see my overexertion and exhaustion as a sign of being a good college student.