Balance is probably one of the hardest things about being a college student.

We are all trying to navigate how to be on our own and be adults while still having classes and some supervision.

We are told these are the best years of our lives — it’s the time to let loose and try new things. It is also the time for building your resume, network and finding what you really want to do.

It seems that there is always something to do or join or be a part of. There are classes, living life, clubs, sports, jobs. We are told to be a part of everything and do everything that we can, but also live our lives and be college students.

There are only so many hours in the day. It is almost impossible to do everything and still take good care of ourselves, even if we try.

Balance and figuring out one’s priorities is important.

Having limited time in a day, and in college in general, it is important to figure out how best to spend your time.

We don’t want to look back on college as only having done stuff for our resume, or that we only had fun and are not ready to be full-on adults.

Creating balance can be hard.

I have been one of those people who tried to do everything. I still sometimes do it. 

I want to build my resume to get a good job in the future, get different experiences and be a college student and, and, and…. There is always something more, and there will always be more opportunities.

First off, make sure you have time to breathe, do things you enjoy and have some time to live.

If you are having a hard time, try to reach out to friends or family or counseling services. These are all great resources where you can express your thoughts and explore your options.

Take a step back — look at all the things you are doing. Separate them into categories — evaluate what each thing means to you and what it adds to your life. Obviously, you need to take classes; that will always be a part of the equation, but look at all the other obligations.

Look at all the other things that you have going on. Do they add value to your life in some way and are you happy about doing them, or are you just doing them to do them?

We are only here so long, it is important to make it what we want it to be.

Sometimes you might realize that you want to take on something new, which is great. There are lots of options for clubs and jobs on campus, as well as a bunch of activities held by various groups on campus.

Try to have something in each category that is important to you, and know that you do not need to do everything. Sometimes taking a step back is necessary to find what you truly want to do and what you truly enjoy.

Geske can be reached at [email protected].