This semester has been, by far, my most difficult in my four years here at RPI. That’s not to say that I was expecting an easy final year here, but the reason this fall has been a drag thus far is one that I did not expect. Surprisingly, it hasn’t been due to my classes; instead, my extracurricular activities have been weighing me down.
This past May, I fully expected to be an officer of several different clubs and organizations, but The Poly was not one of them. All of this changed, however, with one simple action. Our previous copy editor had decided to transfer from RPI, and that left the paper in a bind. Since I had had experience running that section of the paper, I was approached to come back and act as his replacement. Not being one to leave people hanging, I agreed. How much of an effect this would have on my fall plans, however, was something I did not anticipate until it was too late.
Once this semester had gotten into full swing, I was forced to re-evaluate my commitments. With the addition of an editorial position, I suddenly had too much on my plate—it was not possible for me to properly carry out all of my responsibilities each week, in addition to being responsible for class work and going out on interviews for the full-time job I need in May. Rather than fail where others could make a larger difference, I shed two of my prior obligations. While this did improve my situation, its effects were akin to a few drops of water in a lake.
As the semester comes to a close, I have found myself for the past few weeks continuously counting down the days until Friday—not to enjoy the weekend, but to have some time to catch up on things that should have been done earlier in the week. I spend my Wednesdays—days that I have no class—slowly crossing items off my unending to-do list. There are four weeks left to this semester, and I cannot wait until they pass. After that, I will lose all but one of my officer positions. Then, and only then, can I truly enjoy my senior year and make the largest impact with that club.
I write this as a letter of warning to all those considering running for positions in your clubs and activities, as I’m sure elections are rapidly approaching. As someone whose experience here at RPI has been shaped mainly due to my involvements outside of the classroom, I’m not telling you not to get involved with what you enjoy. Quite the contrary—I highly suggest you run for at least one position (though not five, like me). Instead, I’m just pointing out that you should always keep an eye on how it all adds up. An unexpected addition can vastly change your outlook. Rather than enjoying your time here, you may find yourself counting down the days till the end of the semester.
