On every college campus, there is going to be that model student, running from club meetings, to executive board meetings, and to late night event planning. They seem put together, their resume seems like it shines, and every professor knows their name. And you just wish you were them. Although we applaud their commitment and dedication, we have to ask, at what cost? Student leadership and involvement is important, however; the expectation from students to do it all is suffocating at times.
As a student leader, my job involves me aiding a group of first year students in their transition to college. We work with the same group of students throughout the year, working with a professor and another staff member to create weekly presentations, plan on and off campus events, and meet 1-1 with every student every semester. I absolutely love this opportunity, it is such a privilege to watch these students grow from nervous first years to these confident, engaged community members; and being able to be part of the reason they succeed in this transition is more than rewarding.
However, this does not come easily, taking hours upon hours out of your week being present in this role, while also trying to keep my academics as my first priority. As a student leader, I often find myself questioning if I am good enough. I watch my peers take on double the amount of clubs, research opportunities, and holding a 4.0 GPA with a smile on their face, while I feel like I am barely holding my head above water with my own commitments.
I often feel like I am constantly running out of time while also experiencing aspects of guilt, that I am just not doing enough– and I am not alone in this. In a study done by Gallup in 2023, 66% of U.S. college students reported experiencing stress most of their day (Hyrnowski and Marken). Add on the tasks that come with mentoring, planning,and leading students, and it’s no surprise that many in student-leadership roles say they suffer lowered sleep and less downtime, in a study done by Curr Pharm Teach Learn.
Its a strange phenomenon, how everyone tells university students to always prioritize our academics, but also have this underlying expectation to stack your resume with every opportunity that comes your way. At some point we need to stop holding ourselves to this unmeetable expectation to do it all. Student leadership and campus involvement can sometimes feel like an act of proving how much we can put on our plates. Instead, us as university students need to remember what these leadership and involvement opportunities were originally here for; places for students to grow as leaders, practice their interests, and build connections and communities. It is crucial for students to celebrate balance over achievement, so that campus involvement is sustainable and supportive instead of suffocating.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35125194
https://www.gallup.com/education/509231/college-students-experience-high-levels-worry-stress.aspx