June 25, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR CHARLENE CASSIDY IN SC
Jenny, I think it is possible to overload your schedule, especially in your freshman year -- you'll need to adjust to college life your first semester. You should expect that each credit hour you take will require about 1 hour of prep time outside of lecture -- so if you are taking 15 credits, you'll spend about 15 hours outside of class preparing for lecture each week -- reading, doing work, writing papers... So far about 30 hours per week are spoken for just with classes. You'll also want some time each week to relax and enjoy yourself. Find out how much time you'll be required to commit to the other activities. I'm not saying that you should not be on the dance team or in the orchestra, but you need to look at the time commitment required and see if there is enough time each week to do everything you want to do. If not you may need to decide which activity is most important to you and do only that one to start with. Best of Luck!
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A: FROM MENTOR DIANA DIONISIO IN CA
In college, you definitely want to pick the most important activities that you want to participate in. It's not like high school where you can be involved in everything like clubs and sports and still have time to do well in school. It's much better to find a few things that you will be really passionate about and try to get leadership positions with that. Your goals sound really great but I don't know how much time your extra curriculars will take and you can choose your level of involvement.
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A: FROM MENTOR ELLEN PICCIOLI IN MA
Hi Jenny,
I believe that getting involved in extra-curricular activities in
College is wonderful and important. They key to doing this successfully
is managing and prioritizing your time, and to enjoy what you are doing.
As you probably already know, there are many things you can learn from
experiences outside the classroom. For example, by being involved in
teams, music, etc. you can not only develop fun new skills, but you
learn about team work, leadership, and time management.

So my advice is to go for it! If you find that you are over doing it,
you can decide to cut back later.
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A: FROM MENTOR MOLLY WILLIAMS IN MI
Certainly it's possible to do too much, and then you won't be able
to do anything well. However, college is a wonderful opportunity to
try out lots of activities, and you should take advantage of the
chance to explore your interests and abilities. I recommend
investigating a variety of extra-curricular activities in addition
to your academic programs. These might be in the arts, athletics,
religious, or service groups. Go to a few gatherings, but don't
accept a position of responsibility until you're sure this is
something you want to continue with. Eventually, you'll select a few
activities where you really feel at home and can concentrate on
those. And be sure to allocate enough time to your academic program.
Good luck!
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A: FROM MENTOR AIMEE WILLOZ IN MN
Jenny, there probably is a point where you'll feel like you've reached
the limit of activities, but I would recommend that you try to do all the
activities you want to and see how it goes. You could find out that it's
great! When I was in college, I routinely took 18 credits (12 was
full-time, and 15 was average), in addition to participating in marching
band and employee clubs. One thing to keep in mind is that in addition to
the extra-curricular activities, you can control the number of classes you
take -- assuming that you have the wherewithal to attend for an additional
semester or two. If I had to choose between taking more classes or
participating in more activities, I think that in retrospect I'd choose
more activities/less credits. Being involved in extra-curricular
activities is desirable from an employer's point of view, so I say go for
it! Have a great time!