I’ve always been told that college is the best four years of life. There are new people to be met, new experiences to be lived, new lessons to be learned, etc. I cannot disagree that college has treated me well thus far in my education; however, nobody told me that college would also be the most confusing, exhausting, stressful, overworked and financially draining four years of my life.
Between academics, work, Greek life, extracurricular activities and internships, I’ve learned that although college has given me many opportunities to immerse myself into the “real world,” it’s easy to get caught up in everything I have to do and forget about all the things I want to do.
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Class. Work. Homework. Maybe eat. Sleep. Repeat.
My life is a constant pep talk of making it through the week.
I’ve learned lessons from professors, advisors, friends and parents, but the lesson I’ve most recently taught myself is that it’s perfectly okay to stop my homework, take a breath and yes, even call off work to take some time for myself.
Doing things for your future is important, but doing things for the present version of yourself is something society has begun to overlook and something I find vital to being a happier version of myself.
15 minutes to take a walk or two hours to draw a picture, it’s a simple thing, but a hard concept to grasp for the person who never rests.
It’s easy to become consumed by the world around you, to forget about the activities that make you unconditionally and irrevocably happy, to deprive yourself of what your heart and mind crave. How long has it been since you’ve done something solely for yourself? How long has it been since you’ve taken a moment and said, "I’m really glad I did that?"
The world is in constant motion, but that doesn’t mean your homework won’t still be waiting for you when you return from your time with/for yourself.
In a time of confusion and question, there’s no better age to experiment with the person you have the potential to become. "Me time" is both relaxing and refreshing, and promotes new insight into the lifestyle that you appreciate as an individual. It can be in a busy room or a solitary field, alone or with friends.
In a society consumed by technology, it’s time to set down the phone and have genuine conversation with those around you, or free your mind by enjoying the finer things in life that hold value to you.
The words “future” are spoken or implied on a daily basis while in college. “This is good for your future,” “You need to start thinking about your future plans,” or “You’re here for your future,” are phrases I’ve heard an innumerable amount of times in just two short years on campus.
But what are you doing for yourself now? What are you doing to make yourself happy in this moment?
If the answer is nothing, you’re in need of some "me time." If I’ve learned anything, in five years I won’t think of the time I stayed awake until 2 A.M. to finish the paper I continued to put off. But I’ll remember the adventures I went on, the friendships I made, the "me" I improved and the time that I can finally say, “I’m in love with the person I’ve become.”
