college life

I agree with David, yet my situation is a little different. I’m beginning to feel that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. No, that’s an understatement; my mouth is too full to close it. I have a lot of credit hours this semester, and I won’t even reveal the number because it will make some of you cry. The reason I am doing this to myself is to stay on track with my major while also trying out different academic areas. I am also taking the last computer competency class (Excel L).

I also have two jobs. I work as a writing tutor, of course, and as an SI Leader. I love working with people, especially students my age, and I really feel like I am helping the students. It’s fun but also stressful. I am trying to keep track of all the meetings and activities, but I cannot even go to the writing tutor meetings because I have a class at that time. Missing those meetings makes me feel like I have no clue what’s going on or what I am supposed to do. Plus, I am so poor that even two jobs aren’t doing me a lot of good-financially. I have to resort to selling books on Amazon, selling old clothes at a consignment store, and selling my plasma just to scrape by.

On top of all of that, I try to volunteer. I am involved in Weber State Stand which is a new club on campus that helps raise awareness about genocide around the world. We are doing fundraisers, meetings and advertising all of the time, and I try to help as much as I can. This is something I really believe in, but also volunteering looks good on scholarship applications-which goes back to the money issue. I also volunteer at Safe Harbor Crisis Center every Friday evening. I like working with the women there, and I feel really appreciated by the staff and residents. Working there gives me a sense of self worth, and after all the stress in the week, it’s nice to feel someone’s gratitude and care.

It’s really hard to balance out a college kid’s schedule. There are classes that are required for your major, but you don’t want to be restricted to just that area. Trying out different classes can be fun and enlightening. But, colleges are about getting the students to graduate. They always say to only take courses that are part of your major, so that you can get out into the workforce quickly. They also remind you of the money you would be spending by taking classes that don’t count to graduation. Money is the number one thing college students complain about too. Some students complain about having to pay for classes that they don’t want or “don’t need”, and others complain that they do not have the resources to pay for classes that they want to try. And you have to work to pay for college, but you still want a social life which is impossible when all of your friends feel overwhelmed because they have the same stresses as you. It’s horrible.