This column exists for three purposes. It exists as an apology to The Collegian editorial staff, it exists as a word of caution against imbalance, and it exists for me to identify just where I went awry.

I overcommitted, overextended, under-planned and under-performed. I got in too deep and did not realize it until it was far too late. 

I’ve spent too many late nights reading slowly and writing poorly. I can see the quality of my academic work, my reporting and my writing go down with each hour that passes by.

None of this can be blamed on anyone but myself and my desire to “get my money’s worth” from college. I have been treating Ashland like a buffet, taking on responsibilities and activities until I have said yes to too many things, resulting in an ultimate “no” to and sense of quality and pleasure.

College can be a lot like a buffet with the ability to take on as much and as many different things as you wish. However, there is some point where addition becomes subtraction, where “your money’s worth” is no longer adding value. 

I haven’t slept properly in two weeks. I haven’t prayed properly or gone for a run, either. I’ve discovered a great love for Starbucks Italian Roast, but that has been about it. As I sit in my bed slaving away, I can’t help but wonder why I thought this was a decent plan.

I tried to attack college in all the stereotypical ways. Stay up late, stay perpetually busy and just push through any sort of weariness. As the saying goes, “You can sleep when you’re dead.”

If I’ve learned anything in lifetime wellness, it’s that “your quality of life is directly impacted by your ability to manage stress,” and that is absolutely true. However, it was not until sitting back for a far too brief moment and realizing a big part of stress management is to avoid stress in the first place. When there isn’t much stress to manage, naturally everything will feel significantly better.

So as I continue to write, study and contemplate a coffee IV drip, I am making a promise to myself to never allow this situation to happen again. College may be a buffet, but getting value can’t be measured in quantity. Taking on as much as possible isn’t how to get maximum value; taking on enough is. At some point, a point I have already crossed, things become a burden rather than a blessing. Things go off-balance and little things continue to add up.

So now I must remember that I can say no. There are certainly people who can function with more on their plate than I have, but I know I can’t. I’ve learned I need to identify priorities and stick to those. Establishing critical, immovable activities is important to maintaining balance, which I have completely lost. I promise to never again reach this point, and I highly advise no one else does either.