There is undeniably a pressure for college students to accumulate extracurricular activities in order to embellish resumes and impress interviewers. However, in the rush to fill calendars with club meetings and leadership positions, it is easy to lose sight of why these clubs exist in the first place. Before you sign onto another commitment, make sure to ask yourself the following three three questions.
1.    Do you really have the time?When you commit to a club, remember that you are committing to the meetings, the outside work expected of you, and the other members of the group. There is nothing more frustrating to a club than a member who promises priority, but only wants a title on a piece of paper. If you don’t have the time to fully give yourself to the organization, then wait a semester and reevaluate your interest in a few months. Remember to consider the amount of time your other extracurriculars and your classes take.
2.    Do you love what the club is about?
It is significantly easier to fully commit yourself to an organization when you are passionate about the subject matter. If you love being on stage, join one of the dozens of arts organizations on grounds. If you love debate and discussion, join one of the literary and debating societies or the speech team. Forget about the leadership titles or the way the club looks on job applications and just find others who share your passion—the resume embellishments will follow genuine interest.
3.    Do you know your priorities?
If you have the time and you love the club, then the next step is understanding that not everything can be top priority. The sports team, the newspaper, the musical, the sorority, and the classes cannot physically all fit neatly into a schedule, while leaving room for sleep and sanity. Not everything can receive 100% of your attention 100% of the time; remember that saying no is not selfish.
Clubs are the easiest way to find close friends, social engagements, and make a large university smaller. But when stress and sleep deprivation start to creep into your life, remember that your mental health comes before your resume and, as trite as it is, quality will always trump quantity.Â