College life has a special, debilitating way of convincing me that I should always be the busiest, best version of myself. Despite being an overwhelmed, exhausted student, I feel that I need to be maximizing my time, all the time.Â
My For You page is filled with TikTok videos of students getting up early to go to the gym, studying in the library all day and eating three balanced meals every day. On top of this pressure to be the perfect student, professors and companies advise me to hold as many leadership positions as possible, build up my resume until I cannot fit any more activities and then find my dream job straight out of school. Not to mention, every adult in my life tells me to “live up my college years” and make the most of my social life in my early 20s.Â
All of this to say, I juggle a lot of expectations as a college student and, while the stress is different from that of an adult with a full-time job, the pressure still builds up quickly. It can be easy to get swept up in the standards that I set for myself, but I have found a couple of reminders to keep myself grounded and I hope they can help anyone in a similar situation.Â
The pressure in college makes me feel as if I should accomplish all of my life goals right now. Of course, there is always an 11:59 p.m. deadline looming over my head, but beyond that, I feel that I need to perfect my sleep schedule, be an amazing chef, consistently go to the gym, make time for all of my hobbies and figure out my life path, right now.Â
My perspective completely shifted when I realized that I have my whole life ahead of me. I have so much time to improve my cooking skills, get into new hobbies, find the perfect routine and figure my life out. I do not have to accomplish all of that at 21 years old, and frankly, it is unrealistic to expect that of myself.Â
All of these goals can be my focus next year, the year after or even in my late 20s, whenever I have more time to devote myself to them. If my goals feel more stressful than motivating, then I simply do not have room for them at that point in my life, and that is OK. I have plenty of time to accomplish everything; it does not have to be right now. I will admit, though, I should probably fix my sleep schedule soon.Â
Once I came to this conclusion, it was obvious what had to be done: choose which goals to prioritize and which to put on the back burner — not to forget about them completely, but to spend less time worrying about them. When choosing what to prioritize, it is important to highlight what can only be achieved at this time, in this place.Â
As a student, my No. 1 priority is going to class, working on my assignments and getting all of my homework done on time. While this is not always the most fun goal, it is the most realistic, given my circumstances. Most importantly, though, it is one of the only goals that must be accomplished right now.Â
Since I am a senior graduating in December, this is truly my last chance to be Hermione Granger-level dedicated to my studies. Once I graduate, I will no longer have the chance to put in a lot of time on an essay, to spend hours in the library or to experience the satisfaction of having nothing on my Canvas to-do list.Â
Closely following my No. 1 priority of school itself, I am prioritizing my friends and community at school. I hope to stay in contact with my friends for a long time, but this is the last time that we are all guaranteed to be in the same place and have similar schedules, so I want to cherish that. Instead of staying home to make some extravagant meal, I am happy to go meet up with my friends at Chili’s — how many times will I get to do that when I am older?
This is how goals must be prioritized. Not every goal has a time limit, but those that do must be accomplished first. You have to look around and see what is special about this chapter of life, then prioritize that above everything else.Â
The key to all of this, though, is discovering your own balance. It can be easy to think that when you are prioritizing something, you should ignore everything else. However, this is the easiest way to burn yourself out, and you cannot accomplish any goals when you are burnt out. Your top priority is what you are putting most of your energy towards, but not all of it.Â
Balance is different for each of us, despite what the TikTok videos or adults in your life might say. My balance looks like me completing all of my assignments first, then rewarding myself with time to chat with my friends or watch my favorite show. I am not spending all of my time only working on school, even though it is considered my top priority.Â
College is an incredibly fast-paced time in life, so it can be easy to get lost in the stress of it. However, the load feels lighter when you are not pressuring yourself to accomplish 1,000 unrealistic goals right now and, instead, choosing one or two goals to prioritize. Life is supposed to be a long journey, so do not try to smush it into a short four years.Â