The first week of school in college is full of uncertainty, excitement and wondering how to make sense of balancing involvement in academics, organizations and social activities. Students on campus may feel overwhelmed and confused about whether or not the rest of the semester will be successful due to all of their responsibilities.
It can be easy for students to dedicate themselves to organizations and commitments that are new to them. Sophia Hoffman, a sophomore studying media arts production and interdisciplinary fine arts, has always tried to maintain a 4.0 GPA while also being in the Honors College at Ohio University. Hoffman is involved in the organizations such as Women in the Music Industry as their vice president and ACRN as their person in charge of booking bands for concerts and organizing events. Hoffman is heavily involved in these organizations but is also the treasurer for Women in Politics and pursues acting through student films and Rough Cut Collective.
“I’m very organized,” Hoffman said. “I have a planner that I’m constantly adding to and checking because I also have two jobs that I work. I feel like little puzzle pieces and they all have to kind of stack together perfectly.”
As a freshman, Hoffman struggled to find a place to fit in at OU. Hoffman is originally from Texas and has family living in Iowa, which means Hoffman came to college without knowing anyone.
“And so I just decided I’m gonna try to throw myself into as much stuff as possible to distract me from all of that,” Hoffman said. “And then it just kind of became my life and I’ve just realized I have such a passion for all those things.”
College is a time to explore interests and Hoffman took advantage of the new journey to try new things without knowing they would become new interests. Hoffman’s involvement in organizations has been a source of empowerment to learn the business side of the media art production and music industries.
“I think especially being a woman, it’s even more important to have as much knowledge about what industry you’re working in as possible,” Hoffman said. “People are always going to try to take advantage of you and talk down to you. And it’s so important to be strong and be able to take care of yourself.”
Despite Hoffman finding space and niches at OU, there are still struggles that come with being an involved student. Hoffman does a few things when it comes to self care.
“For me, it’s always reconnecting with my family,” Hoffman said. “So when I have those breaks, it’s so awesome because I get to go home to Iowa. I can see my family (and) I’m very close with them.”
Listening to music is also important for Hoffman when college becomes too overwhelming. Hoffman has to listen to The Beatles to feel better and relax after suffering panic attacks.
“Sometimes I’m pushing myself so hard and I’m just firing off on all engines,” Hoffman said. “If I just kind of reconnect the fundamentals of what I really love and my true self, which is my creativity, that helps me.”
Sammy Hemmelgarn, a freshman studying early childhood education, is still figuring out what to get involved in on campus. On Sunday, Hemmelgarn went to the OU Involvement Fair and felt overwhelmed. Despite the amount of other students also looking to sign up for organizations, Hemmelgarn was still able to find some promising prospects.
“I think the (organizations) that I did get to did give me a lot of information,” Hemmelgarn said.
In between classes, Hemmelgarn only has 10 minutes to get from one place to another and will be rushing, but Hemmelgarn said it should still be a feasible class schedule. And when school life does seem unmanageable, Hemmelgarn recognizes that other students are going through similar situations and they can be a support system.
Sydney Yoder, a junior studying journalism, is balancing work and school organizations. Yoder is involved in PRSSA and is the secretary for the history association on campus. Yoder has also produced films on campus and worked in the parking and transportation office, but stopped because the job wasn’t a source of happiness.
While Yoder is searching for a new job and remaining dedicated to other responsibilities, there’s a need to recognize when it all becomes too overwhelming. Yoder is aware of these moments and prioritizes self care by calling a close friend. And as other students prepare to commit themselves to their academics, organizations and other activities, a phone call or a meaningful conversation with friends once in a while may be a helpful tool to relax.
“I find it’s when you have that one person that you can trust with anything,” Yoder said. “You just call them and they’ll be immediately there and they’ll just listen.”
