At the beginning of the semester, I met up at Starbucks to grab coffee with one of my friends. We chatted for a bit — talked about our breaks, what’s going on, and general Stevens stuff. One of the things he told me was that he was dialing back on some of his activities to focus on things that make him happy. Even though it affects the organizations that I am involved in, I’m proud of him and happy that he is taking the steps to make himself happy and enjoy his time more at Stevens. It’s a big, “risky” step.
Right now, I’m committed to a plethora of organizations on campus and hold some sort of leadership role in most of these organizations. I’ve been involved on campus since freshman year and have held a leadership position in some form or another for over three years at this point (I was first elected to The Stute E-board about three years ago as Outreach Chair.) Since then, I’ve put myself out there for more leadership roles. Some of those positions I’ve gotten; other positions I did not.
In each of the organizations that I am in, there are people counting on me to fulfill my specific role. While at times I would love to step back and focus on things that make me happy, I have a commitment to the people and organizations that are depending on me. It’s an internal struggle of mine that I’ve had at least once a month this semester. Would I be feeling different if I had gotten different positions — such as SGA President or Vice President of Academic Affairs? It’s hard to tell.
It’s the beginning of my last semester at Stevens — my last semester before I start working 40+ hours a week. I want to focus on things that I truly enjoy in my free time. Taking a step back to ensure that is difficult; everyone has expectations of you and your stepping back might have some backlash. Would friends support you even if you made a decision that negatively impacted them to make yourself happy?
I want to commend everyone, especially those that are heavily involved on campus, that have taken a big step and de-involved themselves. While it’s important to find a club to join, whether it’s for friends or skill development, make sure that it’s something that you actually enjoy doing. Don’t do something because it’s expected of you, or because it will make Stevens a better place (there are professional staff members who should be looking out for that). Do something because it makes you happy.
It’s cliché and old at this point but think like Marie Kondo: does this activity bring me joy? Focus on joy at college.
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