Erika Garcia | Opinion Co-Editor
As a college student, when I look at my days, some seem to drag on for an eternity as the minute hand of the clock moves slower and slower, while other days the complaint is that the hour hand must be running fast as there are not enough hours in the day. Yep, I am living the dream. The college experience flies by, and before you know it you are a senior. What causes the time to go by so fast? Was it spent on the amount of social events you attended, the amount of time dedicated to academics, or extracurricular actives?
In order to be considered a “successful” college student, it seems like society and some graduate programs require undergraduate students to participate actively in their courses and receive high marks; in other words, receive a high GPA. A successful college student must also be involved in various extracurricular activities, whether it is holding a leadership position or being a very dedicated member at large. Not only do college students have both those factors to be concerned with, but other time consuming factors can include the matter of having a job (whether on campus and off campus), while also trying to squeeze in some z’s and still have a social life.
Time management, organization, and pure luck become your best friends and allies against the two familiar feelings of panic and anxiety following procrastination and overall stress from the chaotic amount of “stuff” we have to juggle. According to an article in Psychology Today on college unhappiness, “based on a 2009 survey conducted by the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment, 39 percent of college students will feel hopeless during the school year, 25 percent will feel so depressed they’ll find it hard to function, 47 percent will experience overwhelming anxiety, and 84 percent will feel overwhelmed by all they have to do.”
It is important to know your limits when coming into college. The pressures to succeed and to build an impressive resume are a balancing act. With the phase in which our economy is currently in, we are being asked to be more flexible, knowledgeable, experienced, and qualified to play multiple roles in the job market or just to be able to compete! In an article discussing the hardships of being marketable, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey in which they found that “80 percent of Americans believe it’s harder for young people to find jobs today that it was for their parents.”
The constant bombardment of messages from multiple institutions, bluntly stating that in order to “make it” in our society, “we need to be the best” has been the mindset since high school. I think the bar was lifted to the next level the moment we set foot in high school when it was about “looking good on paper” in order to get into college. The bar was once again lifted when we entered college, and we knew we would be competing against others who shared the same goals within the same job market.
With that in mind, it is important to know your limits and be able to use your resources to keep you sane and make your pathway to success smoother. The courses may not be getting easier, and the weight of your backpacks may be increasing because of your workload, but the college road isn’t supposed to be a breeze either. It is here where your mind expands and opens up to new ideas. I think from our subjective view, we see the work load as more than it actually is.
Even though we may not like it, we are truly being prepared to be in the ring with the big dogs. At some point, when we have the job and achieved the goals we wanted, our objectivity will kick in, and we will see that all those “worthless activities” were actually useful and the question “when will I use this in real life?” will be answered.
Graphic by Keyla Sosa
