The Importance of Having Music as an Outlet in College
Spoiler alert: Purdue is massive.
Don’t get me wrong, going to such a large school is truly a blessing. Campus has an air of magic surrounding it, and the opportunities the faculty and staff can provide to you are absolutely endless. Immerse yourself into the culture, and you can transform yourself into someone who is ready to conquer the workforce and make a difference in the world.
As someone who grew up in a town of less than 4,000 people though, it took me a while to finagle my way past the point of intimidation to be able to truly see campus as welcoming.
Purdue’s student population is ten times larger than my hometown, and it is filled with people who are literally changing the world as we speak. In these conditions it’s often challenging to feel any sort of importance in the overall scheme of things. Even after I have spent countless hours in the basement of Hicks Library trying to get ahead, it can sometimes feel like I’m just inevitably falling a few steps behind my peers. No matter how much caffeine I pump into my system, I can’t change the fact that there will always be people ahead of me.
Finding a sense of purpose and significance is absolutely crucial to keeping your mental health in check. Although academics should always be your top priority while you’re here, sometimes you have to take a step back and realize that you can shine in other areas of your life, as well.
Do yourself a favor and get involved in an ensemble. Will it take up time that you could otherwise use to study for midterms? Sure. Is it going to directly further your success in your major? Maybe not. But take it from someone who found out the hard way: feeling busy is a lot better than feeling insignificant.
I may not have experience playing in a musical ensemble, but performing in Winter Guard competitions gives me the sort of rush I imagine one would feel while playing in a concert. Each time I nail a toss and hear the audience applaud afterwards, all of my academic and career-related worries completely disappear. Nothing matters outside of that moment. Getting past the jitters, showing off a talent that I am confident in, and hearing immediate praise has a way of lifting my mood like nothing else can. And when I feel confident in one area of my life, it becomes infectious. It spreads into the part of my brain that is usually stressed about organic chemistry and the part that felt overwhelmed by a research paper. Being successful in Winter Guard makes me feel like I can be successful everywhere.
Spend some time doing something that brings you legitimate happiness. If you take a couple hours out of your week to switch your brain off, it can have insanely positive effects in the long run. You’ll feel energized and ready to take on midterms knowing that it doesn’t matter too much whether or not your peers are ahead of you. You’ll feel joy.
