I’d like the start this semester with a clarification. In one of my last articles, I explained the importance of choosing a schedule wisely to set up your future success. I still believe that this is important, but with the start of a new and not-yet-stressful semester, I’m thinking a little bit differently.

There’s a lot of really amazing stuff out there, and without taking advantage of it, I can imaging that you might end up with some regrets in the future.

So my clarification is this: consider anything that piques your interest. Go to info sessions. Read up on professors’ research. Whatever it is you want to do with your inflated minutes of the first few weeks, do it. But before you commit to anything, really try to understand what you’re getting yourself into.

I made this mistake last semester with a tennis PED class I took. There were definitely fun moments, and at the beginning it seemed like I was going to live a life like the always-smiling kids on college brochures do. But as the midterms and projects crept up and I was forced to take a bus two or three times a week to work on my eastern forehand, I was starting to question my previous priorities and definitely wished I hadn’t signed up for this class that did zilch for my graduation plan.

So I think the lesson is this: you need to really care about something if you’re going to commit a significant amount of time to it. Also, caring about an idealized version of something isn’t the same as wanting it to be an actual and sometimes ugly part of your life. No matter how cool the uniforms are or how great it looks on your resume. It just isn’t worth it when your program that’s due in 6 hours still won’t compile.

I think that’s the way to success, because truly, good grades aren’t all of it. They’re a part that needs to be complemented by feeling fulfilled and looking back on some really neat things you did.