When is Being Involved, Too Involved?

            Most students at Texas Lutheran University are involved in many different organizations. This occurs partly because the University is small, so students have to be involved, as well as the strong sense of community that Texas Lutheran University offers to its students. However, many students are involved in not just one organization, but two. Furthermore, many more students are involved in not just two organizations, but also three or four, and so on. So the question is, when is being involved, too involved?

            There are some key things to realize about being involved on campus. “I would like to say that I think being involved on campus in extra-curricular activities is a great thing. A lot of what students learn in college is learned outside of the classroom,” states Terry Weers, Director of Counseling Services on campus at Texas Lutheran University. “Everyone has a limit to what can be accomplished during the semester. When a student is over-committed, things can start to slip,” says Weers. Students who are over-committed tend to forget things on their calendars, drop the ball, miss events, and have signs of stress. “If it’s [your commitments] taking the place of study time and you’re stressed about when you will be able to get things done, you are too involved,” states Lisa Cradit, the Director of Academic support.

            Cradit also gave some warning signals for students to be aware of when it comes to being too involved. Some warning signs for the body are: “Not getting enough sleep, over or under eating, or abusing drugs and alcohol.” Some warning signs of the mind are: “Not being able to concentrate, feeling stressed, like there’s not enough time in the day, feeling anxious/grumpy. Not being able to enjoy activities like normally would.” When students begin to feel these indicators of stress, it becomes pivotal to take action against that stress.

            To combat being over committed, Cradit suggests students choose one activity that they feel good about, can commit their time to, and communicate that fact to other people. Additionally, Weers states:

Understanding the difference between activities that are non-negotiable (academics, a good night’s sleep and healthy meals) and those that might be negotiable (accepting an officer position in your sorority/fraternity or committing to a weekly game of disc golf) is important.

So, while being involved on campus is a great thing for students, it is vitally important for students to know their own limits and understand that sometimes, it is okay to say no or cut down on their extra-curricular activities to have a better experience at Texas Lutheran University. 

Chaney Hill, Reporter