Excessive student involvement does more harm than good

You probably know this student: He holds an officer position in SGA, plays six sports, runs eight clubs, is an RA, saves endangered animals and is working on a plan to ease relations with Iran. This is all on top of having a signifant other and a social life.

Someone needs to tell these students to get in touch with the real world.
Overachieving students are hurting themselves and the 47 organizations they belong to.

When spread too thin, a student can’t adequately fulfill the obligations he has committed himself to. Sometimes he can’t even do some of his jobs.

 “Overachievers have plenty to put on a resume when it’s time to apply to colleges, but they pay a price,” according to the College Board, an association committed to student academic success. “They lose a sense of balance, and the consequences can be severe.”

Yes, while a student’s eight-page resume may impress some potential employers (but probably not), the student is in for a reality check when he realizes he doesn’t actually know how to truly dedicate himself to something.

The point of building a resume is to get a job. The point of getting a job is to work. If students don’t learn how to actually work, as in ‘Do your job,’ there’s no point in having an impressive resume. College is supposed to give you the knowledge and tools to succeed as an adult— students probably aren’t going to have six different jobs once they graduate. They need to realize that.

The College Board goes on to say that overachievers can suffer from poor physical and mental health as well as a “loss of focus or passion.”

If a student is making himself sick on multiple levels by trying to make things happen all over campus, it’s time to re-evaluate the situation. Don’t feel ridiculously passionate about BioEthics or Mortar Board? Then quit and do something you actually love and will actually contribute to.

I’ll cast my stone only because I used to be that student—I used to be hyper-involved. While wanting to make a difference, I wasn’t actually doing a single thing. I didn’t necessarily see the light as much as I was forced to get out of the dark.

“Hey,” I thought, “I’m killing myself for nothing. I should get my [I’ll stay professional] together and try to enjoy myself more.”

An old saying advises people to do what they love and the money will follow. Even if it doesn’t bring financial success, a student will feel better knowing he wasn’t wasting his time while he did something that had actual results. And doing something the bare minimum, late or rehashing old assignments the same is not a result—it’s delusional laziness.

Natural disasters, unemployment, terrorism and apparently everything else under the sun are making the world a harder place to earn your keep. Students should consolidate their goals and time. They should be real with themselves and shed the organizations that are holding them back more than they’re pushing them forward.

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen—because you’re wasting sweat.

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4 comments

Melissa Bates

Mon May 17 2010 02:14

I love how people are so big and bold and ANONYMOUS!! If you are going to chastise someone, at least have the guts to give your name.

Jonathan admitted in the article he used to be one of those overachieving students. I watched him go through it. From my vantage point, it looked like he was steps away from failing the class we had together because he spent all of his time trying to be super-student. I admire him for his talents but he is not super-student. No one is nor should they try to be.

I knew him at TCC as well. He was the president of the English Honor Society, Sigma Kappa Delta, a writer for The Collegian, on top of his classes and I don't know what else. No one should put themselves through that.

I, myself, have done exactly what he's talking about. In Fall 2009, I was taking 2 classes at TCC South, 4 classes at TWU and teaching at Dunbar 6th Grade Center. All this while having to use public transportation to get around, which, if you've never ridden the bus, can take up to 8 hours for three errands. Overachievers are only harming themselves.

If we stretch ourselves too thin, we don't devote enough time to what we're really interested in and want to be involved with not to mention the health problems that come along for the ride. This is the main reason why I have stuck with just my classes and my job with The Rambler. I already run around like a chicken with my head cut off. I don't want to end up being the chicken on the dinner table. That's where most overachievers will land themselves.

I repeat, don't criticize unless you have the guts to state your name.

TWU "Overachiever"

Sun May 2 2010 02:40

I couldn't agree more. Overachievers pay a pretty steep price.

They build their resume, explore a variety of interests, develop skills to deal with people on multiple levels and in multiple situations, and on this campus, somehow manage to comprise, motivate, or directly create over half of the existing student life on campus.

Crazy how there just aren't any benefits to it.

Yeah, that's broad. Yeah there are drawbacks. For a majority of these overachievers, though, I firmly believe that it's an overall love of campus more than love of resume that motivates them. It's not so much that their resume needs padding. But when they have the skills necessary to help out in one organization after another and manage to plug into places where they are needed, it's not exactly their fault that no one else is stepping up to the plate or even giving them any competition for the position.

If anything, the fact that you can pick 6 or 7 of our sixty plus student organizations and find the same students shouldn't shock you. There are lots of opportunities for the student who desires involvement. Not many on our campus do, however, so it becomes less of an opportunity and more of a gap problem. The student newspaper might be a prime example. With rare exceptions, the editors write most of the stories. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't editors supposed to...edit?

So by all means, please get your act together. But don't judge the others who successfully participate in multiple acts and get to take the bow at the end of the show with a decently impressive resume to show for it.

Anonymous

Sat May 1 2010 13:20

"There is nothing wrong with being an overachiever"

Who can argue with that? *rolleyes*
Seems this article hit a little close to home for someone....;)

Anonymous

Thu Apr 29 2010 16:58

There is nothing wrong with being an overachiever

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