Discovering How Much I Need My Hobbies My First Year At College

Since I was a little kid, I have never wanted to be bored. I always need something to do, anything to keep my mind busy. So, throughout my years, I gathered hobbies and activities for myself. I did dance classes, piano lessons, violin lessons, choir, journaling, writing, and a plethora of other things. In high school, there was never really time for me to be bored because I was always off doing something, and when I wasn’t busy, all I wanted to do was sleep. So, coming into college freshman year was a big change. 

My first few months at college were fun, but I missed my hobbies. I stopped dancing and singing, I stopped doing my typical crafting and journaling, so my hobbies dwindled away for months. Sure, I was hanging out with my friends a lot and I had homework, but I wasn’t doing anything just for me. 

Once it hit November, the lack of hobbies started to wear on me. I realized that I never really took time to be alone anymore. I also started to realize that when I did get a moment to myself, I usually spent it scrolling on my phone. At the beginning of the year, hanging out with friends all day, everyday sounded like a dream. A few months in, my friends started to annoy me more than usual and I found myself becoming more and more irritable. I felt like I really needed time by myself, away from them. Not that they did anything wrong, I just needed time for myself that I hadn’t been taking. 

So, I joined a club, started writing music reviews, and brought my journal to college after winter break. I started going on walks by myself and making sure to take moments just for me. I wouldn’t always agree to go wherever my friends were going just because of FOMO. I would instead take that time to do something for myself. 

After all of that, I felt my mental state improving and I just felt happier. In high school, it felt easy to forget that I needed my hobbies because they were just a part of my routine. But when all of them were cut off at once, it was detrimental to me and my well-being. So, to any first year college student, I know it’s cliche, but I would say to join clubs and groups that interest you early in the year. I know from personal experience that if you wait, it might affect you more than you think.

• college
• freshman year
• hcmsu
• hobbies
• MSU