Life of an Overcommitted Furman Student

Here at Furman, we like to keep busy. No one really understands why, but Furman students always seem to have a full plate. Almost everyone I know is in at least 2 or 3 different organizations, holding a few leadership positions, double majoring or at least taking intense classes. Your experience in college doesn’t have to look like this by any means, but it’s all about the passion you have for the organizations you love. I found myself getting involved in leadership positions of organizations I loved in high school, so when I came to Furman, I knew I had to find something similar. It didn’t take long to find admissions, the event planning board, a sorority, Panhellenic, and a few other places on campus that felt like home. I always say that getting involved during my freshman year was one of the things that made my Furman experience so amazing from the start, but it’s also what made my life here so crazy.

 

It’s hard to talk about balancing your schedule from person to person because some people prefer to have all the free time in the world when others like a tightly packed schedule. I’ve always been the second type of person, but that type of craziness can get draining sometimes. The key to this I’ve found is knowing your limit and finding the organizations that motivate you. If I have a leadership position in a role that I love, my busy days aren’t full of things I HAVE to do, it’s the things I WANT to do. What gets difficult for me is balancing classwork with meetings on top of the other tasks I have to get done each week. If I’m being honest, some weeks this is a lot easier than others. It’s not a perfect picture of balance, and trust me, there are hard times no matter how much work you commit yourself to but taking things one step at a time is the goal.

 

The most logical suggestion I have to actually balance your life at Furman is to stay organized. Google calendar is my best friend and saves me almost every day. I never had a calendar schedule before coming to college, but it has become my biggest essential. Every single meeting, lunch, class, or event I have planned is on that calendar. Having everything in one spot makes managing life way easier. My other big tip is honestly just a simple to do list. It seems so obvious, but on my worst days when I am overwhelmed by everything going on, I will take the time to write out everything I have to get done, and it’s never as stressful as it seems. Take things task by task, and before you know it, you’ve got everything done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The part about all of this that I find funny is that as I’m talking about balancing life at Furman, I’m still figuring these things out day by day. What I’ve learned is it’s ok to not be perfect in every class or every organization. Life gets hard, and we’re all doing the best we can to balance! As much as I love every role I have on campus, my biggest advice I can give to any incoming student is to not feel like you have to overcommit yourself. You don’t have to have a leadership position in every organization or join 10 different ones to put it on a resume. Just find what makes you happy and pour into it! I will always stand by the statement that you get out of every organization what you put into it. My leadership experience across campus has helped me grow as a person in so many different ways, but also think about what is best for you! Know your limits, know your passions, and let all of those things help you find your perfect role on our little campus.

 

-Andersen Wade