The balanced way

“The Balanced Way,” is what the little signs in Cowan Dining Commons say that point out how someone can find healthy food options. Although I can’t say I always live by that motto when it comes to my eating habits, I've made a conscious effort to apply it to my life at college as a whole. During the time leading up to my arrival at Centre—and even during the majority of my first term here—all I could think about was academics. This wasn’t because I was so overly obsessed and excited to get loads of homework, but it was because I was so overly nervous about how I was going to make even decent grades at a school as good as Centre. I was so nervous that extracurriculars were the last thing on my mind.

As my first term progressed, and I began to get a good feel for my classes and college life in general, I realized I was both right and wrong about Centre. I was right about it being hard, because it is. It isn’t impossible, but it’s hard. I also discovered that I was wrong about academics taking over my life. It's true that schoolwork takes up the majority of your time (or at least it should since that's the main reason we're here), but I realized that I'd go crazy if all I ever did was homework. It's from this homework overload that I realized the need for stress relievers, outlets for relaxation, and variety in my life. Thus, I created my own “Balanced Way”. This meant doing anything from going to the gym, playing IM sports, or going off campus for dinner, to just taking a break to hang out and do whatever with friends.

Also with this discovery, I’ve realized that my “Balanced Way” life is the more difficult path. It's much easier to stick to one thing all the time and never have to worry about balancing a bunch of activities. This path, although it's easier, is much less rewarding and much less satisfying. It makes life, especially as a college student, a lot less stressful and a lot more fun if you learn to balance what you do and try not to stress too much on one single thing.