By Aubri Powell
Let’s be honest , if you’re a college student, you’re probably tired. Not just “I stayed up too late” tired, but constantly juggling everything tired.
You have an 8 a.m. class, a paper due at midnight, a work shift later that evening, and a club meeting squeezed in between. Your calendar is packed, your planner is color-coded, and somehow there’s always something else to add. You walk through the Union and see organizations tabling, encouraging you to sign up, join, attend, get involved. Before you know it, you’ve added another commitment to your already full schedule , because that’s what college culture tells you to do.
On campus, being involved isn’t just encouraged,  it’s normalized. The expectation is to join multiple organizations, take on leadership roles, volunteer, network, intern, and stay competitive for what comes next. The more you do, the more impressive it looks. It starts to feel like saying yes is the only way to succeed.
But when you look at the adult world, most people aren’t balancing a full-time job, full-time school, and involvement in several organizations all at once. In college, though, we treat that level of commitment like it’s just part of the experience. We rarely stop to acknowledge how much that actually is.
Students are managing academics, extracurriculars, jobs, family responsibilities, friendships, relationships, and personal growth, all during a time in life that is already full of transition. It’s a lot. And it’s okay to admit that.
If you feel overwhelmed, that doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human. It means you’re doing your best in an environment that constantly encourages “more.”
We need to give ourselves grace. Being involved is great,  but rest is necessary. You don’t have to join every organization, attend every event, or say yes to every opportunity to be successful. College is demanding enough on its own.
You are already doing a lot. And that’s more than enough.