By Stephanie Shirk, Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief
College is the place to find yourself. It’s the time to learn about independence and take your first steps into the real world.
However, it’s often way too easy to lose sight of yourself in the first few months, which can lead to spiraling out of control.
At Susquehanna in particular, this spiral is caused by one of the biggest flaws in our student body: unprecedented competition. The classic culture of this campus is to overload yourself with activities while still maintaining a picturesque GPA, holding multiple executive positions, having a social life, holding an internship and eating three meals a day.
Take it from someone who knows and lives it every day: it’s an awful feeling knowing that you could have prevented a forest fire called over-scheduling yourself. My dad has always told me that I’m too involved. While I hear and can fully process what he is saying there, I still choose to ignore it.
My next piece of advice: don’t be like me. Set academic goals first, personal goals second, and don’t succumb to the pressure of feeling like everyone who asks you to join this or do that is depending on you with their life; they’re really not.
The only person who oversees yourself and your schedule is you.
That’s what independence is: making choices, taking risks and trying to stay afloat with resources that you have to pick and choose from.
I’ve never experienced so much unintentional social pressure than I have at Susquehanna. This isn’t all negative; the leadership and academic opportunities are unmatched when it comes to those from a small school.
I wouldn’t trade my positions, the opportunities I’ve had, or my crazy involvement for anything in the world.
I do wish at least twice a day that I could just sit and watch Hulu for an hour or take a nap without worrying about where I need to be next.
Pick one or two things that make you happy, and stick with them or try out something that sounds interesting and make the choice later.
Don’t be afraid to be yourself especially if that means taking the best care of yourself you possibly can. Focus on your academics first, your health (mental, physical, and emotional) second and everything else third.
Don’t let the new shiny experience of freedom in college overtake your life; live in the moment without spending every moment in the presence of others.
Take time for yourself each day. And please, wear your lanyard around your neck if you want to. That’s what they’re made for.