Hi, my name is Katie, and I have a problem with making my schedule so busy I cannot handle it all, and eventually crack under the pressure and start crying in a cubicle in the library. Is the library my crying spot of choice? Absolutely not. Has this happened other times? I’m embarrassed to admit, yes. I’m a person who loves to be busy, as it seems to give me the allusion of productivity when in reality, I’m just a person who loves to procrastinate. It all really started last semester at homecoming: I was trying to make plans pre-tailgate, only to have all my friends busy giving tours, driving alumni around, or helping with the homecoming parade. This led me into a spiral. Was I even that involved at Rhodes? Was I that involved in Memphis? Am I just wasting my four years here?
Deep down, I knew the answer was that I was involved enough on campus and in Memphis. I work two jobs and am in organizations on campus, but this spiral led me to take on another internship, take on the role of Campus Correspondent for Her Campus Rhodes, and start making summer plans to stay in Memphis. And then…it resulted in me crying in the library as a result from the pressure (to be clear, the crying did not come directly from the pressure. It started with me thinking about how I may graduate and never see the Peabody ducks, so do with that what you will). This semester I’ve learned a LOT about time management and organization, but also about how we view “being busy”.
I’ve noticed that, specifically in school, we love to play the “I’m more stressed game”. I’ve been to so many study sessions where people love to tell us how much work they have due the next day, or how much work they did today. I can’t sit here and act like I’m also not guilty of doing this, because I definitely am. From what I’ve noticed, as college students, we love to overload ourselves because it gives us an excuse to be stressed. The allusion of being busy is nice: it makes you feel productive and that you’re involved and changing things. However, when you get to be so busy that your only free time is spent sleeping and eating, and you have no time for yourself, that’s when you need to take a step back. This is something I learned the hard way, but since then, I’ve adjusted hours and created time management schedules.
As college students, it’s so important that we take time for ourselves, but also put in the time to our studies. This is easier said than done, and it’s easy to just do one or the other. Taking time for yourself doesn’t have to be a self-care night, but it can also be going on a walk, doing some journaling, or taking a step back from campus. For me, when things get too suffocating on campus, I take my work off campus to a coffee shop to get a breath of fresh air, while also staying productive. Staying on track of responsibilities is often just attributed to staying on top of your studies, but don’t forget that your wellbeing should be your #1 responsibility!