WHEN IT comes to college,everyone you'll meet is anexpert on how you should spend your time. Already you probably have received ample advice about activities to get involved in, and, trust me, a lot more people will be clamoring for your attention in the next several months.
I won't waste your time and tell you to find things that interest you and spark your passion. I won't tell you to branch out and try activities you have never done before. I won't even tell you about the importance of balancing classwork and extracurricular activities. Most of you will be able to figure those things out on your own; dull, timid slackers don't get accepted to Mr. Jefferson's University. The danger I want to warn you about, the trap that many students at the University fall into, is not that you will get stuck in a rut or even that your life will be unbalanced, but that you'll spread yourself too thin.
University culture tells students that we have to do it all. We have to get a high GPA, be involved extensively in several extracurricular organizations, earn prestigious internships, and participate in research projects outside of class. In the meantime, we're expected to make lots of friends, network with people who can provide academic and vocational opportunities and even take our professors out to lunch. The vast majority of us simply cannot do all this. And even those few who apparently are able to do it end up sleep-deprived, stressed and unable to enjoy what they're doing.
While you're at the University, don't let resume entries define you. If you find that you don't enjoy your participation in a prominent student organization or hate the classes you've taken for that impressive major, find something that fits you better. Impressed looks from other people can't compensate for a dissatisfying and frustrating life.
But don't just balance your individual activities; limit your overall activity. Not only will you enjoy your life more when your schedule isn't completely filled, but you will perform better in your classes and organizations when you have more time and energy to focus on each. In my time as a Cavalier Daily columnist and editor, I've seen how columnists' writing quality declines when they over-commit themselves, and that principle holds true for all areas of life.
Take care of your health. Irregular meal schedules, sleep deprivation and neglecting to exercise are sure ways to make your life miserable. Dealing with the transition to college in your first year is difficult enough when you're healthy. Try doing it sick, fatigued and stressed, and it won't be fun at all. Last year, one of my housemates, in competition with a friend, kept a record of how much time he spent each week doing "sweet stuff" (e.g., rock climbing, mountain biking, musical instrument practice, etc.). You don't have to go that far, but have a little of his spirit, and save time to enjoy Charlottesville and the nearby area. You all have your own pastimes, but one thing I would recommend to anyone when the weather is pleasant is to visit some of the beautiful mountains that surround Charlottesville. There's no better way to refresh your spirit than to spend time on the many trails and water holes within an hour of Grounds.
Leave room in your schedule for spontaneity. Don't let yourself become too busy to pass up a midnight game of frisbee golf or to join a snowball fight when the first snow falls. You will treasure those memories far more than an A on the quiz you had the next day. Think of your schedule like the Pirate's Code: more like guidelines than actual rules.
The final key to enjoying your time here is to have reasonable expectations. As first-years, you all come in with stellar backgrounds and high hopes. But unlike high school was for so many of us, in college you won't be the best at everything. A lot of you earned nothing but straight A's, held student government positions, starred in sports and the arts and everything else you touched turned into gold. College isn't like that. No matter how hard you work, you will face disappointments. So be happy for the good that comes, and enjoy your time at what I am convinced is the greatest university in the world.
Stephen Parsley is a Cavalier Daily Opinion editor. He can be reached at sparsley@cavalierdaily.com.
Read More
PATEL: Personal development courses support students beyond the gradebook
By Heer Patel | 4 days agoThe University must rethink its approach to education beyond traditional major-specific requirements and mandate personal development courses.
EDITORIAL: Commercialization threatens U.Va.’s educational mission
By Editorial Board | 5 days agoAfter all, measuring the University’s worth in terms of accrued capital, operational efficiency and numerical rankings molds this space into just another cookie-cutter institution.
YOUNIS: Why every U.Va. student should say yes to English
By Ayat Younis | January 9, 2025Every student at the University, regardless of their primary field of study, can professionally and academically benefit from engaging with the English department.
