Jumping into freshman year of college was a harsh reality check.

Never in my life had I needed to juggle so many things at once, all while making new friends and adjusting to a brand new environment. I realized that the amount of effort I put into everything needed to be taken up a notch. I studied more, put extra energy into my extracurriculars, and even blocked out specific time during the day just to focus on “making friends”.

However, there was one thing that shocked me once this adjustment was made and I felt that everything had finally fallen into place. This new routine was in no way harder than high school. No matter how much later I stayed up, or whatever other responsibilities I added to my plate, I was never more tired or worn out than I had felt during the peak of junior year. I knew what I had to do, I knew what I wanted to do, and I could manage it.

The biggest difference in high school and college is freedom. In college, your commitments are exactly what you want them to be. Everything you join is up to you. Plus, the amount of time you put into your commitments varies all depending on what you want to get out of them.

You have the ability to commit yourself at different levels, rather than being bound by requirements. In high school it didn’t matter that you had 2 huge tests the next day, because if you skipped your swim practice you would not be allowed to participate in the next meet. Someone else set the rules for you and if you did not meet these rules, you failed and were disciplined accordingly.

In college there is no failure. If you are too busy, or decide to lighten your commitments, it is not seen as something you failed to accomplish. It is understood by the people around you. No one is holding you to that, and it is in your best interest to do what is right for you. This is what allows for a manageable workload. If everything you are doing you do because you want to, then you will get something out of it.

No matter how much work and energy you put in, it is worth it because of the simple enjoyment that it brings you. That is the biggest difference in high school. All of those long hours back then were spent studying for classes someone else said you had to be in, and practicing for competition your team decided to go to. You had very little input in the decisions that were being made for you.

College is a time to test yourself, grow, and discover what you really love. Don’t worry about stretching yourself too thin, because you will know it when it happens and you will have the freedom to reel yourself in. When you start doing things you really love to do, it seems as though all the work put into it is not work wasted.

The time for being tired or overworked because of meaningless activities is something to leave behind in high school. In college you may get less sleep but the desire and drive you have about the things you are doing (plus a little caffeine every now and then) will feel worlds away from that exhaustion felt during your high school years.