Become Involved, but Not Too Involved

By Makenna Sturgeon on August 28, 2017

“Be involved” is the most memorable phrase stated at any typical college orientation. There are fairs that offer options as to what clubs to join, emails sent to recruit new members, and even posters hanging around the new halls that you call home.

Be involved! Involvement is a great way to create new friendships, and build a new resume. However, there is such a thing as over-involvement as well. Wishful thinking is easy to do before classes begin because we have so much free time, but in reality, space is needed in order to study during the semester.

Create a schedule. Scheduling is the best way to visualize how much time really is available during the day, and what activity fits in what spaces between pre-existing activities. I like to log just about everything in order to leave time for myself. It is important to leave time for meals and whatever activities make YOU happy.

This is college now, and a time to be selfish. That needs to be taken into consideration when becoming involved as well. If you start a club and hate it, you don’t have to continue it! There are so many ways to get involved that if the first one doesn’t work, there will be plenty of other ways to do it. Time management is a huge tool when attempting to get involved, and will save you from over-commitment and undue stress. The iPhone has a great calendar that makes life 10 times easier if it’s used correctly. When using it, you can set alerts to remind you of an upcoming event, travel time, and schedule from midnight to midnight. The tool is scheduling magic!

Leave yourself notes as well. Make pros and cons lists of what to and what not to get involved in. If the commitment doesn’t make you completely happy then you shouldn’t do it. Clubs are meant to bring like people together and offer a mode of enjoyment and learning; they are not meant to create stress and make you wish you hadn’t joined! I think a lot of us forget that fact when we sign up for things and decide that we don’t like them.

Have a great first week of classes! Remember, get involved, but not too involved.

SKO Buffs!