Since the time we were little, most of us remember running straight from school to practice, grabbing a quick snack, then running to another activity or meeting, quickly eating dinner, an hour or two of homework, and passing out as soon as our head hits the pillow. We are so used to going, moving, practicing, participating, and performing. But who teaches us to slow down? Would we know what to do if we didn’t have an activity scheduled for every hour of the day?
You may look at your class schedule for the first semester of your college career and wonder, “What the heck am I going to do with all this free time?” That’s definitely what I thought. You mean, I don’t have to spend seven straight hours locked in a concrete building with the same people I see every single day? Here’s the truth: you will finally have free time. Lots of it, actually. How you spend it, though, is tough to figure out when everything in your life has been scheduled since you were a wee tot kicking around a soccer ball the size of a coconut.
My first semester, I went from playing three sports and leading four different clubs in high school to going to class for about three hours a day and then--nothing. I was confused. Completely out of my element. Bored, even. Bored? You’re telling me I’m about to come to one of the biggest universities in the country and I’m going to be bored? Well, not necessarily. I was getting my foot in the door with a few clubs like SWE (Society of Women Engineers), Engineers Without Borders, the Engineering Undergraduate Council, and Bridges to Prosperity. I went to maybe four meetings a week, applied for some leadership positions, and was content. I went to the gym when I felt like it, played pickup games of basketball with friends when they wanted to, jogged with my roommate occasionally...
It wasn’t until my second semester that I finally realized what was missing. And it wasn’t even me who figured it out. A girl down the hall (who is now one of my very best friends) asked (forced) me to go with her to a workout with the Penn State CrossFit Club. I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. I didn’t even know what CrossFit was and I was definitely going to humiliate myself. I’d never lifted a barbell before. Isn’t CrossFit mostly for dudes? Long story short, I was very wrong.
The Penn State CrossFit Club, like many other clubs at Penn State, became my second home. I was making close friendships with people who were completely different than the people I was meeting in my major. I found people who pushed me to prioritize exercise and stop spending too much time in the library. I started pushing my body, feeling more energized, and became an overall happier person. In high school, exercise and nutrition were such important parts of my life and I completely neglected that part of my personality when I got to college because I thought I needed to focus on academics all the time. Today, I’ve gained about 10 pounds of muscle (the freshman 15 isn’t always evil!!) and a fresh perspective on work-life balance.
Penn State has so many opportunities to make friends, move your body, and get healthy all at the same time! There are fitness classes hosted at the White and Intramural Buildings every week (hot yoga on Sunday nights is definitely my favorite). IM sports teams run in packs all over campus. Never tried racquetball before? Now’s your chance! Club sports build families of students who spend almost too much time together - shout out to my PSU CrossFit fam! And, maybe sports aren’t your thing. Maybe you like to stretch in peace in your dorm room and walking to class is enough exercise for you. That’s totally okay too! Penn State offers over 1000 student organizations, and you will have the opportunity to check almost all of them out at the fall involvement fair on the HUB lawn! My advice is this: know your body and treat it well. Step outside your comfort zone. You owe it to yourself to set aside one hour every day to do what you love. Get out there and live a little. Find your PSU family too!
Lucy Spicher
Team N Mentor
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