Are you doing this for yourself or for colleges? 

Resume building requires the space and time to evaluate who you are as a person–interests, identities, etc. Resume building can be a helpful mirror of yourself but with the increase in competitiveness to get into a good college, where do we draw the line? Do we still see ourselves in the mirrors of our resumes?

With the increase in competitiveness to get into colleges, applicants fit themselves into a mold of \ their resumes. Seeing neighbors, family friends, or family friends’ friends get into prestigious universities can be motivating. We see the research they conducted, the passion projects they did, and the number of people they helped. It’s motivating: “I can do so much too.” 

However, when does doing activities get to a point where the point is to get into a prestigious college? The mindset can immediately shift from “I can do so much” to “I have to do so much.” Extrinsic motivation could lead to involvement in multiple clubs and activities with no interest. It’s harder to develop a true passion when the focus is just on the end goal: a straight line from point A to point B. 

In reality, nothing is a straight line. Instead, life is nuanced, complicated, and colorful. 

High school is a great opportunity to try and develop interests. Furthermore, there are so many programs, competitions, and projects for high school students to dive deeper into their interests and discover something new about themselves or the world around them. 

Internal motivation will get students farther than extrinsic motivation. Dwell on the nonlinear motion of life instead of looking toward the end goal. Look to see what you can do for a club instead of how this club will look on the resume, in other words, the impact should be greater than the involvement. 

When we take the time to reflect on ourselves, whether on resumes or just in general, let’s ask the simple question “Why? Why am I doing this?”