Throughout one of my new endeavors in college, I’ve been tested personally and professionally to the extent that I have had to reduce the amount of extracurriculars that I am a part of. This week I have experienced the depths of FOMO and it has truly taken a toll on me. You see, the fear of missing out is a trend on TikTok, it’s referenced in Urban Dictionary and it probably is a generational meme for Gen Z but, I believe it’s more true than many believe. For me, FOMO has been a huge part of who I am since High School. Before, I was over involved and stretched too thin between dual enrollment courses, regular classes, in school sports, club sports, extracurriculars and life in general. I had plenty of mental breakdowns because it was all too much but I knew that if I didn’t do it all, I would’ve missed a big part of being a teenager. I aspired that in college I would be free of these restrictions and would have a peaceful university experience. At first, I fulfilled this great high school aspiration but that lasted all of a month and then I once again fell under the same scrutiny. 

Now, it’s been exactly two days since I sent my letter of resignation to an organization that I love and afterwards I wanted to CRY. I felt like I was giving up a part of who I could be and that not only made me sad but it made me feel at a loss. It’s really funny actually, I contemplate what I will miss but don’t see what I have. That’s why for the past two days I’ve been analyzing every single opportunity that I have that others don’t. From PLA to where I’m from, I’ve found plenty of singular occurrences that have shaped who I am and others as well. I’ve been able to be grateful for all that I have and all that I don’t have too because they have made me who I am. 

My only advice is that next time you experience FOMO think of what you have to better view your situation.