I read a memorable article last week about our modern obsession with being busy all the time. At university, it certainly feels like everyone is racing against each other to secure the best jobs, internships, and projects. So apparently the solution is to occupy every second of one’s time and attempt to edge each other out? Whats up with that?

I am often caught struggling to find the balance between wasting time, managing time effectively, and overloading myself. It’s been a problem for as long as I can remember, and I know it is certainly not one that I face alone. Actually, I don’t know a single person who has worked out an optimal strategy for this pervasive problem. Double booking myself for meetings or making commitments to events that will just cause stress in my calendar have been common occurances since middle school. As soon as I got my driver’s license in my junior year of high school, there was no longer any excuse for missing meetings. But suddently, there would be a break in the routine and there would be nothing to do but sit around and watch tv. It’s never easy to effectively decide which activities to pursue and which to let go, especially at the cost of letting opportunities slip by.

High school version of me met this dilemna over and over again. In the end, it was ok to be late to a meeting every now and then in order to finish homework or just destress. I greatly valued my relaxation time, and classwork was always easy enough to manage if I just focused properly. Clubs and extracurriculars were sources of great enjoyment because I would work with and lead teams of my friends. I look back fondly at the memories and experiences, although sometimes stresful, I shared with my friends and family throughout that time period. We always made time on the weekends for fun activities, like exploring a new part of NYC or just watching the latest Marvel movie.

But the same dilemna of work/life balance is greatly exacerbated in university. With the pressure of thousands of competitve peers, I feel like I have to be seizing every opportunity or risk being left behind in the metaphorical dust. I was talking to a friend about this recently, and we both agreed that considering peers as competitors was not the right attitude; but sometimes, it’s hard to shush the annoying voice in the back of my head.

I joined a slew of UCLA organizations in my first few weeks of college. In BruinSpace, I worked on the structural chassis of a CubeSat that would eventually serve as the payload of a high-altitude balloon; Bruin Racing gave me the opportunity to combine my pasions for cars and engineering solutions in a constructive learning environment. As time went on, more and more opportunities would come up to participate in programs like Golden State Solar Car, attend SWE Workshops, or take fun elective clases. The endless opportunites are one of the best things about being in college. Working in the Bruin Racing shop or tinkering in the MakerSpace were often highlights in my week, breaking up the tiring routine of classwork and grades. My immediate reaction was to embrace the exciting life of college with open arms and dive headfirst into all of these and more.

Over time, however, I realized that college would be very different than high school ever was. My professors expected students to grasp rather difficult concepts in a single lecture and complete rigorous problem sets. Clubs ramped up meetings in preperation for impending design reviews or annual competitions. The choices to prioritize one activity over another were no longer so easy. Is it better to make progress in clubs that offer hands on experience or study for a class and maintain a good GPA?

I once did a rough calculation regarding the amount of free time in a day at college. Although 24 hours seems like a lot, it dwindles fast after accounting for class, homework, eating nutritional meals, walking to and from class, doing laundry, answering emails and texts, sleeping, and general distractions. Trust me, I’ve considered buying soylent and just drinking my meals to save on time eating food. I am lucky to get a few hours of time to work on club or personal projects amid this busy schedule. More often, I am just trying to work through the weekend to catch up on the stuff that has piled up during the week.

Ok so I just spent 7 paragraphs establishing that college students are busy. Certainly we all intuitively knew that before reading this. A more interesting question is how to define the balance between too busy and not busy enough in the face of all this. I have found it hugely helpful to ask upperclassmen and mentors regarding their experience and priorities over the years. Often times, they have some honest and straightforward advice like “just get the minimum GPA needed for grad school” and “procrastinate on your classwork so you can be more efficient in a crunch”. Other times, the advice is much more subtle and requires deep reflection. I’ve uncovered a lot about myself by reflecting on my past decisions and motivations in this way.

In the past year, I’ve developed my own intuition and strategies for managing the balance. I focus significant efforts on my classes because my professors are brilliant individuals with so much experience in cutting edge technology. I commit to organizations that offer opportunities to learn and grow skills that are practical in the real world. I am extremely picky with which projects I join now because I’ve learned to value my time and focus my efforts. I am always ready to have 1am conversations about politics, religions, or any other interesting topic to hear unique perspectives and ideas. In general, I love the excitement and energy that comes along with having a busy schedule and lots to do. But my balance is not quite right just yet. I wish I had more time to explore the city of Los Angeles or go to the fun events that are always happening around campus.

Literally everyone at my school is smart and multi-talented, but a key component of success in this environment is effective time management. It’s a constant cycle of evaluating and reevaluating priorities to make the most out of a limited time in college. And when I move into the apartments next year, I’m sure grocery shopping and making food will change a lot about my schedule as well. Who know, maybe I will finally make the switch to soylent.

I guess the answer to the question “Am I too busy” is probably. But I am honestly loving my college experience so far, so I don’t think I will make any drastic changes in the near future.


Shoutout to Allison for making this awesome study playlist.

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