Photo Courtesy of Cecelia Marshall
We can all agree that UCLA is a huge place with lots of opportunities. That, coupled with the fact that there are so many motivated, involved, and smart students on this campus makes UCLA an inspiring place to be! But, it can also feel intimidating and can leave you asking yourself, “should I be doing more?”. This question can manifest in different ways– sometimes it just feels like you’re not as busy as you should be but other times you can feel down right inadequate in comparison to everyone else. So what’s the solution? Well, the more clubs you join, and the more activities you do then the less inadequate you’ll feel, right?
So let’s say you go ahead and join all the clubs that you picked up fliers from at the enormous activities fair, AND you apply for that on-campus job, all while trying to maintain a stellar GPA, a relatively active social life, and a healthy body. A couple of weeks into the quarter you start to feel overwhelmed, like you’re constantly behind in something or like there’s always something you need to be doing. Basically, you’re drowning in responsibilities and instead of feeling less inadequate you just feel exhausted! It’s as though all these things you were interested in and passionate about are becoming a drag. To top it all off, you’re not sleeping well, you haven’t had time to workout or to hang out with your friends and family, or even, just to Netflix and chill! Oh and your face is breaking out! Your stress is starting to take a toll on your physical and mental health. You start to think, “how am I supposed to do all this so nonchalantly like everyone else does?”
Well that’s where you’re wrong – you’re not SUPPOSED to be doing anything like anyone else! Nor should you be doing it nonchalantly! I know this is all easier said than done but it’s true: you shouldn’t be comparing yourself to everyone else because we all operate differently, and it’s ok to admit that things are difficult and speak up when you need help! Some people can juggle 2 jobs, 4 classes, an internship, and 3 clubs but you need to know that it’s ok if you can’t! Likewise, if you’re someone can do all that then you shouldn’t feel pressured to free your schedule if you know you can dedicate enough time to everything.
Most of us know that surviving college is all about finding a balance – but sometimes we forget that that balance isn’t generic and it can’t apply to everyone. You need to find a balance that’s tailored to you. There is no standard for how much involvement is enough. Finding out what is too much for you to handle is something you’ll mainly learn through trial and error. But for those of you who aren’t fans of that method and want more concrete advice, here are some tips to help you find your balance:
- Don’t join everything at once – stagger it so that every quarter or every two quarters you’re joining a new club, or starting an internship/job. You should be easing into a fuller schedule as the years go by so you don’t burn yourself out before graduation.
- Don’t be scared to be less or more involved depending on your class or work schedule. For most students, class and work are the top priorities so if you know you’re going to be really busy with class and/or work in one quarter, politely withdraw from anything that will make you feel overwhelmed. You may be reluctant to do this because you don’t want to feel like you’re giving up but in the grand scheme of things, your health is more important than your ego. Conversely, if you have a pretty light class/work schedule then challenge yourself a bit and explore a new interest, or take up a leadership position, or apply for an internship.
- If you can take a class as “Pass/No Pass” then do it! Knowing that you won’t have a final grade in a class – especially if it covers a subject that you’re unfamiliar with – takes enough pressure off so you can actually enjoy the class and learn something new or dedicate more time to something else without feeling guilty. However, you should ask your academic counselor which classes you can and can’t do this with.
- As ridiculous as this sounds, give yourself a bedtime! Or at the very least give yourself enough time to actually prepare for bed – for example by putting away electronics 15-30 minutes before you sleep. Having a bedtime ritual tells your body that it’s time to start shutting down for the night and that makes it easier for you to fall asleep and you’ll be even better rested.
- And lastly, actually schedule your free time! I know this sounds ridiculous too but if you don’t schedule it you might a) never have it or b) reach a point where you need a break so badly, that you blow off that study session or that class and end up feeling horrible about yourself, which shouldn’t be the case. If you actually put aside some time each week – even just a few hours – to just relax then everything will feel less stressful because you’ll have something fun to look forward to and to keep you working to the best of your abilities.
The most important thing you should take away from this is that as lucky as you are to be surrounded by such talented, driven young adults at a campus as prestigious as UCLA, the only time you should ever ask yourself the question “should I be doing more?” is if you genuinely feel like there is something lacking in your personal college experience – not if you think you are lacking as a person in comparison to your peers.