The Itch to Get Going
By Sam
The itch is a universal phenomenon among University students — and no, I don’t mean a physical what is that kind of itch, I’m talking about the feeling of wanting to go out in the world and make a difference but not being able to right now. Whatever the reason, you feel like you’re being stopped from achieving what you want, even though you know you could achieve it given the chance. I liken the itch to feeling like a sprinter waiting in the starting blocks before a big race. I know that I have to wait to start running but want to go right now. I feel like I’ve trained and waited long enough, can’t I just go?
Why We Get It
Far from helping us make a difference in the world, it can often feel like the demands of school are constraining us. I know I’ve felt that before. You want to be more active in your community or start doing meaningful work in your dream profession but you have to wait. Meanwhile, school can feel disconnected from what actually matters. So what if Plato said something about justice 2400 years ago? What about the injustices going on today?
School forces us to think long-term with our goals. It demands that we make sacrifices in time, effort, money, and opportunities in order to create a better future. That’s difficult when you just want to make a difference right now. I’ve had to reckon with this feeling in myself. I am someone who absolutely loves learning, in fact I even love being tested on my learning. However, more than anything, I want to actually do something in the world, and I get frustrated when I feel like I can’t. After reflecting on this feeling though, I can confidently say that I am right where I want to be. While it may feel like I’m waiting, sometimes I’m not really waiting at all and neither are you. We’re preparing ourselves to make a much greater impact than we otherwise could.
Dealing With the Itch
First: stay in school.
While University often feels like the main slow down on our path to what’s next, it’s quite the opposite actually. As University students, we are actively making ourselves better learners, leaders, and people. University’s rigors, the same ones that feel like constraints sometimes, are preparing us to be better citizens and contributors in the world.
The story of an undergrad dropping out to start their own tech company or app is a nice one, but highly misleading. For starters, those folks are in the extreme minority. Secondly, unless your company or idea is already starting to blossom, dropping out (instead of working on it part-time) is a huge risk that likely doesn’t need to be taken. Waiting a year or two longer to finish your degree and then pursuing your passion fully will not only give you the bona fides that a degree confers, but it will also equip you with all the skills University grants us beyond that hallowed piece of paper.
There are many career fields that require a degree, or where having a degree makes a big difference. A degree sends a strong signal of your knowledge, skills, and work ethic which gives you a huge leg up when entering the working world. It may feel like staying in school is a sacrifice at times, and it is, but we should remind ourselves that this sacrifice will make our lives and the lives of those around us much better in the long run.
Second: if you can’t wait — don’t.
Yes, staying in school will allow you to make a bigger contribution in the long run. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact right now. There are so many opportunities to get involved in your community and better people’s lives, both on and off campus. The best part is that many of these opportunities also offer a ton of flexibility, meaning you don’t have to choose between getting good grades and doing meaningful work.
I pretty much always feel the itch, which is why I’m so involved in my communities. In the past, I’ve served as the President of my Community League, and currently, I’m proud to be in my second term as a City of Edmonton Youth Councillor. Both of these roles, while having formalized expectations and terms, are voluntary, but the value I get out of them is immense. There are many opportunities to volunteer while in school, you just need to search a little. If you’re passionate about eliminating poverty, you can volunteer with an organization like the Bissell Centre. If you’re interested in politics, youth councils like the one I sit on, are a fantastic way to get involved.
On campus, there are a litany of options for making a tangible difference. You can volunteer with the Sexual Assault Centre, Campus Food Bank, or get involved with student governance. Not to mention all the clubs at the U of A that do wonderful work in the community, and also happen to be really fun ways to meet people.
On Your Mark, Get Set
Ultimately, it’s a gift to have the itch because it shows that you care. You want to make a difference in the world and you can’t wait to get started. The best sprinters aren’t the ones who only get into the race halfway through. They’re the ones who can barely wait to get started, and when they do, there’s no looking back. There are ways that you can deal with the itch right now, but if you still can’t shake that feeling? Embrace it. That deep need to help the world is sorely needed right now and always. Even if you have to wait a bit longer to actualize those desires, you will get to, and you will make the world a better place in the process.
