For many college students—especially ones like me, who attended extremely competitive high schools—college is supposed to be the relief. By no means do we expect it to be easy, but college is supposed to be when you have time to focus on yourself. You get to (mostly) take the classes you’re interested in, have the freedom to choose how you spend your time, and pick the activities you get involved in. You are no longer pressured into joining every major club and running for three executive positions within student government. Now, you get to find whatever it is you like, do that, and focus on yourself.
At least, that’s what I expected. I was so excited by the idea of getting to tailor my college experience to my interests, goals, and focuses. And in some respects, I’ve been able to do that. I’ve had the opportunity to interview for campus leadership positions I’m interested in. Once I got my basic requirements out of the way, I was able to choose the classes I take for my major—classes I like and enjoy. But there’s also an uncomfortable pressure I’m feeling in college, and it is strangely similar to what I felt like in high school when I was told I would never get into a good college without more volunteer hours.
I am involved on campus, of course. I’ve been a staff writer on our school paper, and I was chosen to be a tour guide this year. I’ve volunteered at multiple service events and I’ve gone to student life events and participated in their programs. But more and more each day, I look around and wonder if I’m turning into a college slacker because I don’t have more to do.
There are so many people around me who are doing so much, even more than they did in high school. They’re executive members in this group, part of the recruitment committee for this event, tutoring in this department, volunteering with this group on the weekends, taking an overloaded class schedule, and they’re managing to make it to fun Atlanta events on the weekends. I feel like I’m working hard and making the most of my time in school, but sometimes I look at others and feel guilty for giving myself any spare time at all. If they can pack all of those responsibilities in, why can’t I?
I have the same amount of hours in my day as both them and Beyoncèe, so why aren’t I doing more? And more importantly—do I need to be?
No, I don’t think I need to be doing more now, and here’s why.
Let’s say we’re all playing monopoly. We all start off with the same amount of money, but we have to decide what to spend it on. We all spend it different ways, but we’re all trying to win the game. The difference lies in the way in which we plan to do that. If I’m looking to work in journalism, there’s no need for me to be a part of the music groups on campus. If I’m planning to go to med school, I don’t really need to join the film club. It’s okay if I care about something outside my intended career, but I don’t need to find random things to be a part of if I am not interested in them. There’s no point anymore. I’m working directly towards graduating and getting hired in my chosen field. Anything that doesn’t help me get there is extra, and if I’m not having fun in my additional activities, they’re not worth it.
It makes sense that everybody is still somewhat focused on being a part of everything they can. It’s the kind of attitude that’s drilled into us from the moment we hit middle school, and it’s kind of silly to think that frame of mind would shift as soon as we moved into our freshman dorms. As a generation, we must work to shift that ideal. We don’t have to feel like we’re back in the crazed college race. We made it; that race is over. Now, we are in charge of how this one should be ran.