Illustration by ANTHONY LOPEZ | The Ranger
EDITORIAL
College is often described as some of the best years of our lives. What people do not always talk about is how exhausting those years can be.
Between classes, jobs, internships, student teaching, relationships, family responsibilities, extracurricular activities and simply trying to have a life, it can feel like there is never enough time in the day. Sometimes, being busy becomes something we are proud of. We compare schedules with our friends and think, “if they can handle all of that, I should be able to, too.”
But being overwhelmed is not a failure. As college students, we are constantly being told to work harder, get involved, build our resumes, make good grades and prepare for our futures. Those things matter, but so does taking care of ourselves along the way.
One of the biggest things many students have learned is that balancing everything does not mean giving everything the exact same amount of attention every day. Some days, school has to come first. Other days, work or family needs more of us. Sometimes, the most productive thing we can do is go home, eat something, get some sleep and start again tomorrow.
Time management can also make a difference. Keeping one calendar with class assignments, work schedules, appointments and personal commitments can help make a busy schedule feel less overwhelming. Breaking large assignments into smaller tasks can also make them feel more manageable. The goal is not to create a perfect schedule. It is to create one that is realistic enough to follow.
And sometimes, organization is not enough. Sometimes we need help.
Amarillo College’s Counseling Center provides free and confidential behavioral health services to AC students. Students can seek help for stress, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, academic concerns, time management and other challenges. The counseling Center is located in Ware Student Commons on the Washington Street Campus.
AC students also have access to TELUS Health Student Support, which provides 24/7 access to mental health professionals through phone, chat and telehealth services.
Asking for help does not mean you cannot handle college. It means you recognize when you need another person in your corner.
There is also something to be said for giving ourselves permission to be imperfect. You might miss an assignment deadline, You might have had a bad day at work. You might get a grade that is lower than you expected. You might realize that you cannot say yes to every opportunity. None of those things mean you are failing at college
or life.
We are students, but we are also people. We do not have to sacrifice our health, sleep, relationships or happiness to prove that we are hardworking. Success should not be measured by how exhausted we are at the end of the week.
College is supposed to prepare us for our futures. That includes learning how to work hard, but it should also include learning when to slow down, when to set boundaries and when to ask for help.
You do not have to do everything. You just have to figure out what matters most right now and give yourself permission to take the rest one day at a time.
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