In my time at DePauw, I've found that there is one thing that nearly all of us have in common. Yes, the Princeton Review says we all like to have fun, and yes, we all feel superior to the Little Giants in November, but what I'm referring to now is our motivation.
We're wildly ambitious, and much of the time, we translate that initiative and hunger for success into focused multi-tasking. We juggle leadership roles, form committees and spearhead projects, all while balancing full time classes. Overall, I truly believe we are contributing to the greater good, both at DePauw and in a global sense.
My most dedicated readers — Hi Mom! — might remember that I once wrote about how much I love being over-scheduled. I said I feel uneasy when there's nothing pressing on my agenda. While this is still true, I've also reached the conclusion that I'm actually a bit frightened by how much we try to accomplish.
But beyond that, I'm even more afraid that what we're doing isn't what we genuinely want to do. I'm speaking, in this instance, of resume-padding. I'm well aware that we need to do things we don't enjoy that will benefit us in the long run, but lately I've been re-thinking how I spend some of my time.
As a freshman, I thought I had all the hours in the world to waste. While I wouldn't trade my first year at DePauw for anything, I've watched the past two years fly by faster than I thought possible, and I've realized that our time is, without a doubt, the most precious commodity we have. Why be an officer in a club you don't really enjoy, just to let your passions fade into neglect?
We're given 84,600 seconds every day to do with what we please, and none of them will ever come back to us. So why suffer through any of them? My new goal is to use my 84,600 seconds doing the things that make me happiest.
This doesn't just mean wasting less time. It applies to my activities and even classes. I enrolled in a painting class this semester not for credits, but for the sole purpose of enjoyment, and I've loved every minute of studio time thus far. I think if we slow down our ambition just a bit, it might benefit us more than that extra leadership role. I'm trying to find things to do that don't necessarily make me look good as much as they make me feel good.
When we actually throw ourselves behind an organization or effort, it astounds me what we are capable of doing. I'm so incredibly proud to attend school with all of you, and see your accomplishments. And if everything you do fulfills your soul, I couldn't ask for more.
But if you put your head on your pillow tonight and realize that you didn't have time today to do what you wanted to do, what you do have time for is change. We're only young once and we have the rest of our lives to get ahead.
So as the year gets into full swing, and you're getting the preliminary emails from all the clubs you signed up for, don't forget to ask yourself how truly interested you are in an activity. You don't have to be the next Ryan Seacrest to love having a show at WGRE. And even if something won't necessarily look the best on a grad school app, but you would love it, sign up and give it the ol' DePauw try!
— Bremer is a junior from Clarendon Hills, Ill., majoring in communications. opinion@thedepauw.com