College is seen as a time of self-discovery, but in our current society, the self-discovery that is encouraged has to do with our future employment. We are tasked at a young age to pick out a major and a profession that we will have for the rest of our lives. Then, we are told to intern, find work, or join a club related to our major in order to build a resume and to network. It can be easy to be pigeonholed into one interest. Especially at a small college like UE, it can be difficult to find clubs or opportunities that relate to interests outside of your major.

I started to feel like this recently, and decided to connect back to hobbies that are completely unrelated to my major. I started painting and playwrighting, both of which I hadn’t done much of this year. It was a good mental break from school, but I also found myself connecting with the “old me.”  I realized that I had stored away a lot of what made me, “me” in order to focus on school and a profession. I know that many college students, like me, feel the pull to dive back into interests that they have given up.

All human beings are multifaceted with multiple interests. Being, “well-rounded” should not stop after we are done with applications, but should continue because it balances our lives. Too often, we can feel trapped in a box of how we should be, but our hobbies don’t have to serve a purpose other than to make us happy. For me, I’ve started a little painting that is by no means a work of art, and I’m editing a play I’ve written that may or may not go anywhere, but I’ve loved redefining who I am outside of my healthcare major. Being creative has let me recharge so that I can put more energy into school. Do not give up what makes you unique, and never let school or work take over your life.

This is your reminder; in case you needed it. Go and reconnect with an old interest…You may just fall in love with life again!