The athlete who is also a member of Leonard Carmichael Society, the a cappella singer who works at Tisch Library, the zealous activist who is constantly running from one protest to another. Everyone knows a student like this at Tufts - someone who not only takes classes but also has a job, volunteers and is active in several student organizations.
At Tufts, the passion and varied interests of the student body have produced an abundance of organizations and, consequently, the opportunity for countless commitments.
But overextending oneself can be a quick recipe for disaster - taking rigorous courses, being the president of seven clubs and tutoring three times a week leaves scant time for relaxation. So where is the line between passionate engagement and an overbooked planner?
Julie Jampel, the supervising clinician and training director at Counseling and Mental Health Service, said there is an upper limit to positive engagement. While being busy is rewarding, she explained, it also has its drawbacks.
"Very tight schedules do contribute to stress, as there is no time built into the day to relax or even to reflect," Jampel said. "Although there are people who do not like idle time and thus feel better when they are constantly moving from one activity to the next, this lifestyle prevents them from learning how to relax and enjoy free time."
At the same time, a highly structured schedule helps some students function optimally, according to Associate Professor of Psychology Keith Maddox, who specializes in social psychology.
"When some people have too much time on their hands, they have a harder time focusing," Maddox said. "For other people who have a highly structured schedule, it becomes easier for them to focus on the tasks at hand."
Maddox emphasized the importance of choosing activities for the "right" reasons.
"People have to consider their motivations," he said. "It is more beneficial to choose activities that are important to people's identities, versus the things that people are doing to fill out their resumes. Those things probably won't provide a lasting sense of motivation."
Some students whose datebooks are filled with multiple obligations each day echoed Maddox in noting the positive aspects of imposed structure and efficiency.
Junior Lizzie Langer said her activities help her occupy days that would otherwise be squandered.
"I like to keep myself busy, or else I get bored," Langer said. "Even when I truly have nothing left to do, I will find something to do so that my schedule will be easier later on in the week."
Langer is the president of the Tufts chapters of both the Chi Omega sorority and the global women's network 85 Broads. She also holds a part?time job working for McKinsey & Company's external communications department and estimated that her combined extracurricular commitments take up about 35 hours a week.
"I try to keep a positive attitude so I don't feel like time is running out," Langer said with regard to her hectic calendar. "I also balance my schedule with difficult and less rigorous classes so I'm not overwhelmed with work."
Junior Kevin Gilchrist, a pitcher on Tufts' men's baseball team, said that, in addition to keeping him busy, extracurricular activities force him to remain organized, improving his performance in other areas.
"During the season, baseball probably takes up 24 hours a week between practice and games," he said. "Even though it is a huge time commitment, having a sport also helps me structure my time, and I typically have better grades in season."
Rewards aside, junior Kelsey Picciuto, a member of the women's cross country and track and field teams and the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), said that at times she feels as though her college life is somewhat atypical and includes a lot of sacrifice.
"I don't watch a lot of TV or go to the dining halls. I also don't go out that much because I just don't have time during the week," Picciuto said.
Maintaining friendships takes extra work, she added.
"There are a lot of times where I can't spend time sitting on the couch talking to my housemates or friends because I'm either at practice or doing homework," she said.
Senior Sarah Habib, co?chair of Programming Board and the student representative to the Presidential Search Committee, said that finding time to catch up with friends she has neglected due to obligations is challenging, but she generally manages to do so by making social events out of things she has to do anyway - like eat.
"I use meals as the most opportune time to see people," Habib said. "Every single meal I have during the week is booked."
For many busy students, the trick is simple: Love what you do, and it won't seem like work.
Between athletics and ROTC, Picciuto estimates that she is busy for around 22 hours a week. Both activities, however, provide her with a sense of gratification and have enriched her life in multiple ways.
"I've been able to access so many social networks within Tufts that I wouldn't have otherwise," she said. "And although both my parents were in the military, I have been able to gain a new appreciation for the service. As long as you like what you're doing and doing everything for the right reasons - for yourself and because you enjoy them - I think it's easy to balance your time."
Sophomore Bronwen Raff, a volunteer for the social service organization LIFT, the vice president of the Tufts Democrats and the membership director of the College Democrats of Massachusetts, said that the reward of working for worthy causes outweighs any stress they cause.
Between planning events for the Tufts Democrats, canvassing for candidates and clocking volunteer hours, Raff said that her passion keeps her going.
"I am so excited about these things, it doesn't seem like a huge commitment," she said. "When I'm at LIFT or doing Democrats stuff, I'm not thinking about homework or myself. I think that realizing at the end of the day that I have accomplished something more than schoolwork makes me a lot happier than finishing a book or writing an essay."
But an extreme schedule is not sustainable without organization and time management, Habib said.
"It's really nerdy, but every night I plan out a schedule of the next day," Habib said. "If it's on my to?do list, it gets done. It's also important to keep a detailed schedule and calendar - try and make it so you're not doing a million things at once."
Raff, who is taking five classes this semester, uses time that could easily go to waste to complete tasks.
"I do a lot of stuff between classes because I'm so busy at night," she said. "I get up early to do homework."
Both Habib and Raff emphasized that a serious commitment to a few activities is much more rewarding than a marginal involvement with many.
"It's better to be really involved in two things rather than be involved in a million things," Habib said.
"If you want to have a real impact, be discerning," Raff said. "If you don't like it, don't do it, but strongly commit to a couple of things and have a large impact."
