College is a whole new journey with loads of new experiences, and as a new student you may feel like you want to take on all of them. While it’s important to get involved, committing yourself to too many things is something you want to avoid. Your extracurricular choices are just as important to your growth as a student as your coursework, but you don’t want to take on too much at once and potentially stress yourself out. Naz offers so many clubs, sports, events, student leadership opportunities, and learning experiences that it’s hard not to want to try them all. Luckily, Naz also has support systems and resources to help you balance yourself.

My freshman year started out just the same as everyone else’s: I was getting adjusted to my class schedule, finding out times to eat with my friends at the dining halls, and picking out a few fun extra ways to spend my time besides doing homework. I found an on-campus job at Office Services, which has since been combined with the mail room to form Central Mail Services, and also became the recording secretary for the Undergraduate Association Senate. I also had an off-campus job that I worked when my schedule allowed. I thought I had it all figured out. I was having fun with my friends, keeping up with my schoolwork, and making a little money. Then my first advising meeting to choose my classes for spring semester came along and I somehow ended up taking 19 credits, the maximum allowed before overloading. I thought, “I can do this. It can’t be that hard, most of these classes are just PEQs.” Boy, was I wrong.

Trying to juggle six classes, a lab, homework, and three part time jobs became harder and harder as the semester progressed. I wanted to get all my prerequisite classes out of the way so badly that I took on too much at once. My grades started to slip, and I began to feel stressed out almost every day. I completely regretted my decision to take 19 credits with all my other commitments. I’m not saying taking that many credits is something you shouldn’t do, but you need to consider all your other responsibilities when this issue arises. You may feel like you’re letting your boss down when you ask to take on less hours, or letting your club or team down when you miss a few meetings or practices to do homework, but saying no is sometimes a good thing. Don’t take six classes if you know you won’t be able to handle all the work for each of them and still do quality work. Don’t take on another job if you’ve already got a few. Don’t be afraid to say no to yourself sometimes when you’re thinking of taking on a new challenge that might not benefit you in the end. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to say yes to new opportunities if you think you can handle them.

The best way to balance all the aspects of your life is to sit down, and think through where each opportunity could take you. Will it help you grow as a person? Will it add new depth to your knowledge or studies in your major? Weigh the pros and cons before deciding what’s right for your life, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your friends, teachers, and advisors, as well as the life coaches at the Center for Life’s Work, the tutors and success coaches at the Center for Student Success, and even the professionals at the Health and Counseling Center, are all here to help you make the best choices for your college career. I visited the Center for Life’s Work where the career coaches advised me to take on a little less, and that advice really stuck with me coming from someone else. The counselors at the Health and Counseling Center agreed with their advice and gave me some suggestions for how to handle all my commitments, which was something I really needed to hear. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and most importantly, make sure all your decisions contribute to your happiness.