As if being an adolescent isn’t hard enough, college students try to maintain jobs, relationships and extracurricular activities, all while trying to keep their parents happy by earning decent grades.
“It seemed difficult at first, especially when I was a freshman here at Cabrini,” Kourtney Spak, sophomore psychology major, said. “I never thought I’d be able to get my work done and go to practices and matches. I knew tennis consumed a lot of time, three or more hours for each match. But to be honest, after classes started, my worries went away. I realized I had a lot more time than I thought, and I was able to get everything done on time. It’s really all about time management, and knowing which priorities come first.”
Today, the added pressure of the economic downfall weighs heavy on students’ backs. Most students even need to work one or two jobs to help their parents with the pricey annual tuition.
“I’m president of the history club, I’m on SGA and I’m the men’s basketball team manager as well. Balancing everything that’s going on while also managing my grades and working to pay my own bills is a huge weight on my back,” said Charlene Guzman, history and secondary education double major.
As if the strenuous economic status weren’t enough, students try to enroll in challenging majors, planning for their futures.
“My schedule is extremely hectic. Not only am I enrolled in very challenging courses, I also have to always try my hardest being a pre-med student in order to get into the dental school I want to attend. I always have to be aware of my priorities and put other things aside, such as having a huge social life like most students,” Ashton Kazlo, pre-med major, said.
On the other hand, some people learn to juggle their activities more effectively because they learn how to manage their time better.
“I actually feel less stressed when I’m in season because you have to put in place time management. Even last year as a freshman it was nice having a structured schedule of classes then practice because I knew right after that I would have to get my work done. It works out nicely and helps you maintain a healthy schedule,” Alexis DiCamillo, undecided major, said.
Whatever your method for trying to maintain a non-chaotic life, remember it will not help to get overwhelmed and stressed. Some students are simply just enrolled in too many courses and too many clubs or extracurricular activities. Take a step back and think to yourself, “is it going to help if I work myself up about this?” It is normal to feel a little or a lot of pressure in college but simply reevaluate everything on your plate and make a few changes to better suit you.
