Have you ever realized you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of responsibilities you’ve taken on as a college student? I know I have. As a freshman, I unknowingly set myself up for failure by overloading my schedule with the maximum amount of 19 credits, chasing internships, and striving to build “the perfect résumé.” The pressure nowadays is inescapable, and the weight of everything can easily lead to a burnout.
It’s tempting to believe that signing up for every opportunity in your path, taking every challenging course, and signing up for each enticing extracurricular will set you up for future success. And maybe it will…eventually. But the reality is, trying to juggle everything without allowing yourself to adapt to a new environment can easily backfire. You might tell yourself that it’s worth the stress and will pay off eventually. But, in truth, this lifestyle is a fast track to mental exhaustion and an academic burnout. Piling on too much too soon is the equivalent of trying to run a marathon before you’ve learned how to jog.
One thing I’ve learned the hard way is that the college environment is a different world from high school; the level of independence, academic demands, and the social dynamics hit you at once and nothing slows down for you. It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you can handle everything, like you did before. However, if you don’t give yourself the space you need to adjust, you’ll end up drowning in the very responsibilities you thought would boost your future, and you might end up faced with failure.
A misconception many of us possess is that doing more leads to success. In reality, it leads to half-hearted work, procrastination, and an inevitable burnout- just like Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls. Rory was THE model student: ambitious, driven, and seemingly perfect, and she constantly acquired internships, prestigious opportunities, and maintained a flawless academic record. But the pressure eventually caught up with her. After taking on too much and losing sight of her personal goals, she spiraled into a burnout; dropping out of Yale, losing her sense of direction, and struggling to regain her academic rhythm. Rory’s experience demonstrates that even the most focused and hard-working students can still crumble under the weight of unrealistic expectations and pressure. College isn’t just about accumulating as many achievements as possible; it’s about growth in all spheres: social, educational, and personal.When you overwork yourself from day one, you miss out on the chance to fully experience what college has to offer, and like Rory, you risk losing your way.
I’m not saying you should slack off or avoid challenges— but it’s important to pace yourself, recognize your limits, and allow yourself room to breathe and grow (like a plant). Success doesn’t come from a perfect résumé. It comes from time management, taking care of yourself, and making the most out of the opportunities that matter to you.
So, if you want to fail at college, relentlessly push yourself beyond your comfort-zone and avoid taking breaks. But, if you are striving to succeed and make the most out of your tuition and time, remember that it’s okay to slow down and re-evaluate your priorities, and ultimately, to find balance.