When I first got to college, I was most excited about all of the opportunities that were available to me. I wanted to try a little bit of everything, because as most people are, I wasn’t’t sure what I wanted to study yet. After signing up for a bunch of different clubs at the involvement fair, I was ready to fill my schedule. For the first month of the quarter, it felt like I had a different meeting every night! I loved having a routine and seeing what DePaul had to offer. After exploring all of the clubs and orgs, I narrowed it down to two clubs I’d devote my time to. I was feeling confident in my schedule, until I started to hear some of my classmates talk about theirs.
We had been in class for a month, and it seemed like every one of my peers (all freshman, might I add) had a much more exciting plan than me. They were applying to internships, declaring majors, and making time to go downtown and explore Chicago. How did they have the stamina for all these extracurriculars? I started to wonder if I was doing enough.
It’s so easy to compare yourselves to others. Especially when you’re a freshman in college, and you’re not sure what the norm is. I was comfortable with my low workload, I mean, I was still adjusting to being a college student! I definitely had thoughts of “Am I doing this right?” and “I should be more busy, I have too much free time.” But, I learned that I had picked a schedule that was right for me. I started to use those free moments in the day to reflect on my current situation and take a break from working. Allowing for self-care in my schedule really helped me feel more balanced and present for activities that I was passionate about. I realized that some people’s schedules just don’t jive with mine. And that’s okay.