I’m currently in my third year of college and I can honestly say that it has been by far my most productive year. This year, I am the Public Relations Chair for a culture-based organization and lead the social media committee for that organization. I’m also a writer for Her Campus at UCR, and am on the social media committee too! I also work as a peer mentor and work directly with first-year students to help them transition into the new college environment. Each responsibility I have signed up for this year has made such a positive impact on my confidence, social life, and college experience. Despite taking on so many things this year, I have managed to break everything down and prioritize which of my tasks have to be done before I fall behind.
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I love being involved on -campus because it allows me to venture out and meet new people. My job as a peer mentor has offered me the space to meet hundreds of students from all different backgrounds. Working with other students has made me a happier person and made me come to the realization that I love to socialize and be a resource to others. I have become more social and I have improved the quality of my conversations because of it. I used to be very awkward and shy, which I still am at times, but it is comparably less than before. Being more involved on-campus challenged me to balance my time effectively and determine which responsibility I should take on first. It has also made me a more patient person. Obviously, there are still moments where I feel like I am running out of time, but something in me has changed, slightly. Rather than worry over the time I am running out of to finish an assignment, arrive to an event on time, and time to unwind; I take control of the time I do have and tell myself that this task will be done and over-with, no matter the time it takes to complete. Because of time, I am more relaxed and conscious of my time.
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I have also come to understand that sleep is not something to compromise or set aside. It’s funny because I used shrug off any advice about sleeping for eight hours to be fully energized for the next day. But it’s true, it really does make a difference! I would often stay up until 2AM or 3AM on social media, Youtube, and on streaming websites like Netflix and Hulu. I chose to be more assertive with myself and establish a sleeping schedule to see just how much of a difference getting enough sleep can make. It’s something I have honestly taken for granted. Giving myself the appropriate sleep-time has improved my productivity and even made me a morning person, which is something I never thought I’d be. Something about waking up early and having a head-start on the day feels good.
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Something I did not expect to like was being busy. Whether it’s painting for fun, getting a head-start on an assignment, reorganizing my room, or anything really, it’s nice to stay busy . I noticed when I do absolutely nothing, I feel more down and begin to overthink. And I’ve realized that being occupied is a good distraction from negative thinking as well. Being on several committees has been such a great experience because I have met so many amazing people who all have exciting goals. To clarify, the time I use to relax and take a break from my academics and extracurriculars do not count as doing nothing to me. In order to feel energized and motivated each day, it’s essential for me to set a time to take a break and wind-down. But I do think it’s important to accept that we will all feel overwhelmed and/or stressed at some point. Which is another thing I’ve learned- we cannot really avoid feeling stressed about literally anything. It’s very crucial to be honest and accept that not everything will go smoothly all the time, no matter how well-planned our days can be. Hard days will come, but what matters is how we come back from that.
Being more involved on campus has allowed me to become a well-rounded student who plans out my schedule accordingly, is more social, more confident, more honest with myself, and has given me a better college experience. The responsibilities I took on made me challenge myself and see what I am capable of doing. It has made me proud of myself for being able to balance work, class, and clubs. It’s exposed me to so many inspiring people. And it’s truly made me understand the idea that college really is what you make of it. College never fails to teach me something new about myself, and that’s what I love most about it.