At the Pride Symposium at the beginning of the school year, I was asked what my one piece of advice was for college students. It is hard to encompass one thing that is supposed to support students in the hectic world of college, but there’s one thing I think most students need to hear — you don’t have to do it all. 

There are thousands of opportunities on campus. Students can join clubs, nonprofits, have an internship, volunteer or get a job. Events compete for our attention in the form of Packapalooza, dance showcases, cultural events and protests. It can be debilitating to decide how to spend your time. 

Just because there are so many opportunities does not mean you have to do them all. Students can try and fail to enjoy everything at once, but it simply isn’t possible. Rushing from place to place limits the time left for genuine breaks and fun.

While the events themselves are fun, down time is important. If all one ever does is spend time out and about, they can crash and burn out and the fun events don’t feel as fun anymore. 

Additionally, as students, we do not have a lot of time outside of academics. It is important to identify what we care about and invest our time into things that matter rather than investing little time over a myriad of things. 

Investing a lot of care into one or two things makes them more meaningful to be part of. Being part of something you invest deeply in is a lot more impactful than casually going to a lot of things. Even if you can work in the time to attend every club meeting, will you get anything out of it as you stress over your schedule to make it there on time or are constantly tired? 

The temptation of overbooking oneself is easy in college. In high school, students are stuck all day in one place, but in college you make your own class schedule and can work in events around that. When you make your own schedule it’s tempting to schedule too much. 

However, scheduling too much results in canceling and being late, falling short on your commitments. Having too much going on limits our ability to focus on one thing at a time, taking away its value. You might have enjoyed the beekeeping club for a long time, but the stress of the other three clubs you joined are now taking over your mind.

While the allure of campus opportunities feels like we must do everything, it isn’t healthy to work so hard. 

Saying no can be hard. When it feels like all of these are needed to build up a resume or have fun, saying no might be the best thing to do.

Saying no can be hard, but quitting can be harder. When something you once loved no longer gives you joy, letting it go feels like losing a part of yourself. However, it’s important to remember the love you once had for that thing is no less special if you quit. Sometimes the best thing to do is step away before the stress ruins the good memories. 

And for the lucky few that haven’t overbooked themselves, carefully examine the things you choose to spend your time in. Let them be meaningful, and if they ever become overwhelming it is okay to let them go. You do not have to do everything just because it’s an option.