FOMO: Fear of missing out.
To an extent, it is naturally for everyone to fear missing out on opportunities; whether they be social, academic, or extracurricular. Nobody wants to be on the outskirts of their peers recalling an extravagant experience they shared. This often results in feeling out of place, fearing not doing enough with your time to create valuable experiences. In a small, residential college campus, this fear becomes inevitable.
Throughout my underclassmen years at Denison, my “FOMO” manipulated my social standing and mental health. At a residential college, you are constantly surrounded by people. There are people down the hall, in the bathroom, in the dining hall, and even five feet away from your bed. There are people everywhere you look. It is difficult to get alone time in the first place, but that does not mean that it is forbidden or even impossible. Through my first-year and sophomore years of college, I thought that I needed to utilize every opportunity I got to socialize and meet new people.
Everyone says, “Enjoy this time because you won’t get it back” so I should, right? Every moment I could, I would try to spend it with my friends, even when I felt like I was socially fatigued. However, I slowly learned that enjoying college does not mean forcing yourself into situations that won’t make you feel good. It is all about balance. You need to spend time with yourself, so you can appreciate the moments with your friends even further. And moments you spend by yourself can allow for self improvement to become an even greater friend to those around you.
“FOMO” also comes into play through academics and extracurricular activities. Students who are unsure of what they want to pursue post-college or just have a variety of interests they want to partake in often come into conflict with “FOMO”. At college, especially residential colleges, there are so many opportunities right at your disposal. While it may seem like a good thing in hindsight, that can often get overwhelming for one who may feel pressured to be “well rounded” or someone who wants to dip their toes into everything. “FOMO” might pressure students to take part in too many new opportunities, whether it might be of interest to them or might look good on their resume.. In the long run, “FOMO” might cause cases of academic burnout by attempting to become the committed,“well rounded” student. This will end up causing more problems than benefits when a student bites off more than they can chew. To resolve this, I have tried to step away from commitments that do not excite me and allow myself room in my schedule for self care.
While it may seem nerve racking at times, sometimes you need to take a step back from opportunities and recognize there will be many more in the future. In a space where opportunities are constantly happening around you this may be difficult, but it is crucial to compromise your time for a healthy college experience.