An open letter to incoming students

By Colton Redtfeldt

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To the first-year college students,

What does it mean to change the world? Do you have to lead a revolution? Invent something so significant that it impacts millions of people? Create a company that changes an industry?

Take a moment and relax.

I get it. You want to make an impact on the world; you want to change it. You want to work hard and be remembered for something. Trust me, I get it.

You’re dedicated to making it happen, no matter how hard you need to work. You study constantly, network anytime you can, and seized every chance to get ahead. I was the same. I felt like I was putting in this superhuman level of effort to hold up my juggling act of a life.

I was successful for sure. I had good grades, influential connections and it looked like I was on the edge of success. It all came at a cost, though. For me, that cost was a strained social life and a metric ton of stress and anxiety.

I’m not alone. A 2014 research study of 500 United States college students found that 61% of students had high amounts of stress. They were most-often stressed about school, a lack of time, and with their future career.

All that stress has a big impact. According to the American Physiological Association, high stress can increase the chances of developing a mental illness and weaken your immune system. On top of that, consistently overworking yourself puts you at a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. You can’t change the world if you’re dead.

Everything changed for me one night while I was on a long walk. I had just finished five hours worth of homework and needed a moment to clear my mind. On that walk, I did a lot of thinking about the people in my life. At some point during that walk, I realized that I just had to reframe my idea of what changing the world looked like.

Take a moment to think about the people who have shaped you the most.

Maybe it was a parent, a relative or friend. Maybe it was someone who gave you a much-needed tip or compliment when you need it the most. Did these people do anything over-the-top or magnificent? Probably not. They were just going about their daily lives, doing the best they could to be a good person. Even so, they probably seem like a superhero to you.

Just think: you could be that person for someone and you might not even know it. You could be changing lives and all you’ve been doing is going through your day-to-day life.

Once I humbled myself and appreciated the impact I had on people around me, a lot of that toxic pressure to overwork myself went away.

Another thing that helped me appreciate the power of small contributions was local volunteering. Summer Starr, coordinator of the Volunteer Center of Whatcom County, agrees.

The Volunteer Center of Whatcom County connects over 900 people with local nonprofits every year. Starr, who’s worked at the center for three years, said there are nonprofits in Whatcom County that rely on the work of volunteers to survive.

“Sometimes the small things are where the steps towards impact are,” Starr said. “Organizations are constantly learning and changing, we always need people there to put in the time and blood, sweat and tears.”

When I started volunteering, I was able to see how my small actions had a big impact in the lives of others. While I was volunteering for Northwest Youth Services, a local non-profit that serves homeless youth, I saw how the generosity and compassion of a few people helped change the lives of dozens of homeless youth. Experiences like this taught me the importance of collective action in changing the world. There’s nearly eight billion people on this Earth and many of them are trying to make change too.

Finally, I came to understand that what I did in the present could have a profoundly positive impact on the future.

As a college student, I got too wrapped up in the future. It’s an easy thing to do when you first start out. I was so focused on making an impact, I forgot that what I do now matters just as much. When I stopped worrying about the future, I became more content with the work I was doing in the present.

So relax. Take a deep breath. As long as you put in an effort, you’re going to change the world one person at a time.