Hi First Year Students!
My name is Jack O’Neil and I am the Student Leader GUide for Orientation 2018! I am a rising Junior from Sammamish, WA majoring in Human Physiology. I originally came to Gonzaga as an Engineering Management major but decided to switch majors during my first year on campus. I have enjoyed the classes I have taken and have also become involved with clubs, jobs, and intramurals on campus. Being able to balance all of your academic life along with your social life, a sleeping schedule, and remembering to eat healthy can be a tough task. However, I am here to help give you some tips and tricks to learn how to balance your crazy schedule in college!
One of the hardest parts of transitioning to college is being able to balance all the different aspects of your life in a new environment. You will be pulled in many different directions during your first year from your academics, friends wanting to hang out, and club meetings just to name a few. At different time they all seem to be the most important thing to be doing, but which one is actually the right one to pick? While group activities and meeting new people is a big priority, don’t forget why you came to Gonzaga, to get an education. However that shouldn’t keep you from branching out and experiencing new things. A typical day for me is waking up early and going to class for a several hours, going into work in the afternoon, another class and then homework and club meetings. At some time throughout my day I want to work out, and don’t forget that there are meals to be eaten and time to hang out with friends to keep yourself connected with others.
Even though this sounds overwhelming, this is what college is all about in bettering yourself intellectually, spiritually, culturally, physically, and emotionally. The reason we are Zags and influencers of the world is because of these qualities’ that we learn while here at Gonzaga. These innate qualities of being able to balance of these activities with our time management will set us up for great things in life. Two phrases I try to live my life by are “Keep everything in moderation” and “Don’t forget to have fun.” I think that these best exemplify college and being able to balance your time. Keep everything in moderation, never too much of one activity or another because it will keep you from bettering yourself in other areas. And don’t forget to have fun, you only go through this experience once so enjoy every moment of it.
I can’t wait to meet you all in August and of course, GO ZAGS!
Best,
Jack O’Neil