Senior Speaks: Do What You Want To Do

Ever feel like you’re doing things without interest? To break out of this cycle, read Ryan Yang’s article “Do What You Want To Do”, our fourth installment of Senior Speaks. 

I think the most accurate way to describe my actions prior to IMSA is a term so aptly named “College Whoring.” In my pursuit of an IMSA career I actively sought to participate and compete in STEM related activities that would make my IMSA resume look just a little bit more impressive. I took up leadership in those groups to prove that I wasn’t just another member, and I volunteered to show that I cared about service as well.

Then the day I opened that letter I was… mortified. I had been waitlisted to IMSA, and I couldn’t believe it. I had spent all that time working towards getting in, and I couldn’t even accomplish that. I lost hope, confidence, and faith in my own abilities. I had spent all that time and effort and still couldn’t get in. After getting in, I didn’t know what to do. I had no ambition, no objective, and no motivation.

Much of what I had done before, I didn’t enjoy. What was the point of joining things I didn’t enjoy? I stopped. I joined only the organizations that I could really stand behind and have fun with. Being a part of groups that I enjoyed reinvigorated me. When I returned home for a party with some friends from my old school, they told me I was a different person. I was more enjoyable to be around, and I seemed a lot more relaxed. Life was better. My IMSA life was defined not by what others expected of me, but by what I wanted. If there’s anything I’ve come to realize with my IMSA experience, it’s that the smartest moves you can make in life are those that make you happy.

There’s no point in sacrificing a part of your experience or life for another. Every day is another moment, another chapter, and another memory to be made. So make them exactly that. Painful, sad, and stressful times often imprint much more strongly in our minds than happy ones. Instead of struggling with clubs, people, and moments that break you down, find the ones that build you up. Just do what you want to do.