Class, clubs, sports, work, eat, sleep—repeat. For all Stevens students, this cycle describes a typical day. Some have no sports but three clubs, and others have full-time jobs with a weekly class. Regardless of the specific schedule, every Stevens student juggles several responsibilities. Whether it’s more or less work than another student at Stevens, or across the world, the time occupied by commitments as a student here is a lot, especially relative to everyone’s own personal lives.
Aside from eating and sleeping, students tend to neglect the “nonessential” things that comprise life. Being with friends for more than a quick bite to eat, dusting off an old hobby cast aside, or taking time to stay current with reading lists or T.V. shows: all of these seem irrelevant given that we are walking investments who need to excel in college to give back to those who have kept us here, or to have a successful career. However, the invisible forces that drive us all to focus on school and shelve our passions shouldn’t be the only forces that keep us going. Our passions themselves can be our respite, our impetus that allows us to keep juggling classes, clubs, sports, work, eating, and sleeping, and subsequently repeating everything everyday.
For example, a semi-hidden passion of mine is tabletop, or board game design. I know that being a board game designer is not a lucrative career, let alone a career at all. In fact, board game designing is almost exclusively a second job for most game designers, with full-timers being rare exceptions. Beyond my constant awareness that I am at Stevens because of my family’s support, financially and otherwise, my love for tabletop game design compels me to get things done or redirect any stress-filled downtime into something I love to do.
This non-threatening motivator wasn’t always present for me. It had been dormant for several years and reignited over the summer. Yet its resurrection kept a key part of me (to me) alive, and provided another horizon, albeit a tiny cardboard one, to look forward to amid my often poor juggling act of life. If you’ve read one of my earlier editorials, you’ll know that I am passionate about people’s passions. I am an advocate for retaining what you love, rather than putting all stock into something you know will make the big bucks.
Fiscal responsibility and pursuing your interests are not mutually exclusive and can coexist harmoniously if you choose to let them. If you can let them be harmonious, then let the two interact sometimes. There’s no need to keep one away from the other; you’re only depriving yourself.
TAR – Minor split in 2nd para. 2nd sent. to shorten clause; shelf (n) -> shelve (v); grammar; removed implicit “all”s
