First of all, here's a disclaimer: I am definitely guilty of skipping class, meetings, events, etc. I hate participating in class and I hate studying. From time to time, I roll my eyes at "team-building" activities. I, of course, have cancelled plans before. However, I hate the way I feel when I skip class or a meeting. I feel bad for professors when no one talks/participates, so I try to sometimes. I still hate team-building stuff... but I try not to show it in my face. Ultimately, I hate seeing people blow things off, so I definitely try not to. Although it's so hard.
Anyway, I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "He/she is so smart and capable, he/she just doesn't apply him/herself." But it's so true. We're all so capable of so many skills — we just have to apply ourselves! It can be so rewarding to participate, meet new people, make that good grade, etc. All of these things happen when you try and get out of your comfort zone. These things don't happen when you sit in the corner of a meeting or class and roll your eyes, text the whole time, etc. It's time to live in the moment!
Things don't get done when you don't care. I know whenever I'm having a phase of not caring, I do nothing productive — which might be nice for some time, but then I regret it. While I believe everything happens for a reason, if I would have been more involved my freshman year of college (and not napped through many events), I would have made more friends, joined more organizations, and more. It's totally OK that I didn't; I just regret it sometimes. So, care — and take advantage of all the opportunities around you!
Also, this doesn't just apply to school or your organization. You also have so much potential to have fun. Don't blow off things 24/7 because you're studying, but also don't do the opposite. Prioritize, but try to care about the things that matter (could be different for each person).
What I'm trying to say is that we're all here for a reason. We all have our specific friends, colleges, majors, organizations, and whatnot, and that's exactly where we're supposed to be. So, why not take full advantage of those things and care about them? Go to class. Meet your professors. Go to your organization's philanthropy events. Sign up for officer positions. Form opinions. I feel like in junior high/high school, being involved and interested wasn't cool, but now it should be the thing to do!
