Insistence on Involvement

The over-committed, over-stressed, and under-rested individual is a familiar character in the daily lives of Harvard students. Extracurricular stress is new to no one, and we often find ourselves neck-deep in non-academic work before we know it—so much so that the Committee on Student Life met last week to discuss the intensity of Harvard's extracurricular activities. However, regardless of the University's efforts to reduce the amount of stress that students feel because of their extracurricular activities, students will continue to take on extracurricular commitments and thus more stress. Doing so is their choice, and the University cannot change this despite its best attempts.

It is unsurprising that Harvard students tend to take on significant responsibilities beyond their academics, since Harvard looks to admit individuals who demonstrate initiative and leadership experience outside of the classroom. Many student organizations are geared toward rewarding leadership and thus induce stressful competition. Yet as expected, given that students coming to Harvard are generally accustomed to a competitive atmosphere. Still, it is important for students to remember that they are most effective in positions and organizations that they enjoy being a part of, and that taking on leadership positions simply for the sake of having such a title ultimately defeats the purpose of leadership and creates more stress than necessary.

Extracurricular participation may often aid in pre-professional skill-building or in learning concepts not readily available in the classroom. In this light, it is understandable that students would want to take on and take advantage of many activities. Still, the availability of such activities should not undermine the value of extracurricular activities that do not necessarily accomplish these goals. Many student organizations such as cultural groups, social groups, and athletic teams provide valuable and unparalleled experiences, and students ought to take advantage of these opportunities.  These activities can simply serve as enjoyable activities rather than pre-professional ventures.

Regarding University’s involvement in students’ extracurricular lives, the most that administrators or advisors should do is emphasize the risks of over-committing and over-extending oneself. Advisors ought to give students advice regarding their extracurricular commitments, but it is ultimately the decision and the responsibility of students either to act on this advice or to ignore it entirely.  Still, if students are better informed, they will have more to consider when making the choice to increase or decrease their extracurricular commitments.

Giving students the responsibility to manage their involvement in college will serve to better prepare them for life after Harvard, when the ability to balance multiple commitments will be a necessary skill. Provided students are not overextending themselves to the degree that their academics, health, or happiness suffer, they should be given the freedom to take on as many responsibilities as they believe they can maintain.

Still, students should not overlook the benefits of Harvard’s liberal arts education while getting caught up in extracurricular commitments. The benefits conferred by a liberal arts education may not become apparent until years down the road when individuals are able to apply the knowledge and skills they learned in the classroom, not just the practical proficiencies they acquired from extracurricular activities. College may be the only time that students can acquire and hone these skills without being expected to demonstrate them immediately—although the choice is left to them, we encourage students to take advantage of this time and of the academic gains that Harvard has to offer.