When you are a first-year student in college, you are likely to be bombarded with information about ways to get involved on campus. There are involvement fairs, volunteer expos, and fraternity/sorority rush events, There are student organizations at churches, synagogues and mosques, bible study groups, intramural teams, hall councils, college councils and on and on and on….
These can lead to great opportunities to get involved, learn about your new community and make friends. So definitely get involved in something. You’ll find that involvement increases your sense of engagement in college and your overall satisfaction with your college experience. There’s ample evidence to back this up.
But it’s also important to commit yourself wisely. You need to have time for academics, “me time,” entertainment and sleep, too.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot myself. I left my job at Penn State almost a year ago, and moved to Athens, Georgia, where I really don’t know that many people. I started a business, and several blogs. I joined online communities related to higher education, student affairs, coaching and small business. And, because I love art and music so much, I chose two local organizations that I wanted to be involved in: Athfest (the local Art and Music Festival) and Nuci’s Space (a musician’s resource center that has affordable practice space, an event hall, and most importantly, staff that refer musicians to much-needed resources in town, including healthcare, counseling and other social services.)
Coming into a new town after living for about 15 years in my last community was daunting, but I knew that getting involved in the community would be the best way to make business connections and make friends who had similar interests. But, like many, I have a terrible time balancing my commitments. As a result, I over-committed to some and left some “hanging on the vine.” I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned from the experience, and some perspectives on how to commit the right way.
Example #1: My business. I quit my last job and took a great leap of faith in myself and my abilities. Before doing so, I got plenty of advice against starting a full-time business, but I knew that I couldn’t commit all the time and energy I would need without doing it full-time. Every decision I make about my business isn’t about money. It’s about finding ways to help people, build a solid reputation as a good coach, and to provide “social proof” that I am worth hiring and can deliver on my promises. I spend well over 40 hours each week on my business, and try to prioritize my time toward those things that help me do these things first. When choosing which activities to prioritize, I choose those that pay first. There is usually a great deal of crossover with my other main goals, because I find that happy clients and the testimonials that can follow, are the best ways to build a reputation and to provide “social proof” that I know what I am doing and can help you.
Commitment or Over-Commitment?: Commitment
Example # 2: Athfest. I helped plan the Athfest Arts and Music Festival this summer, and am serving as the Artist Market chair for the coming year. I helped quite a bit for 3 days this summer at this year’s festival and made a lot of connections in the community…artists, musicians and business people (many of which need coaching.) I attended one meeting a month for this and got periodic e-mails. Commitment or Overcommitment? Commitment.
Example #3: Athens GA Half Marathon. This event was sponsored by AthFest and this year was the inaugural event. I began by attending weekly meetings and offering ideas. Then, when the volunteer chair stepped down, I agreed to step up and co-chair the volunteer committee with another member of the planning committee. For a while, this just involved coming to meetings, but as the event grew nearer, it began to involve meetings with the co-chair, a separate volunteer committee, and various team captains. Over time, it began to absorb more of my time and energy. I helped with the course certification process, planning for a vendor expo, managing the volunteer recruitment process (through various channels) and coordinating the event throughout the weekend. It will also involve a lot of follow-up, processing and gathering input. Commitment or Overcommitment? Overcommitment.
Example # 4: Nuci’s Space: I met with Will Kiser, their volunteer coordinator, early last Spring and offered to do pro-bono career consulting for musicians that use their space. Just a couple of hours a week. And to do some professional development events and consulting for the musicians, their staff, and their board. As of this writing, I have not followed through with any of it. And frankly, I’m appalled. The mission of Nuci’s Space is awesome and it’s very much-needed here in Athens. Commitment or Over-commitment? Nah, falling short. Not committing at all.
You may find yourself in a similar situation. What should you do?
We’ll be exploring the topic of commitment all week. Check back tomorrow for some ideas on how to choose your commitments.
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Sean Cook has 15 years of experience working in Higher Education, as a Student Affairs Professional. He is a Certified Life and Career Coach through the Life Purpose Institute, a program accredited by the International Coach Federation. Sean also writes about career issues in higher education for our companion site, HigherEdCareerCoach.com and is a periodic contributor to the Student Affairs Collaborative Blog.
