Constantly Changing Interests?

[oatmealraisin]

I have a tendency to change interests randomly and abruptly. During my freshman year, I also over committed, due to the more lax homework and extracurricular responsibilities, and now I’m really feeling the burn of the stress. At the same time, I have a hard time dropping clubs and activities (I have officer positions in a number of organizations). What should I do - stick with the clubs I’ve had since freshman year or drop them in favor of clubs that fulfill my current interests.

To give an example of my problem, in middle school, I was a gigantic STEM girl. I would participate in state and national math/science competitions, engineering competitions, science fairs, etc. I was definite I would be going into science, and thus decided to attend a math and science magnet high school.

At the start of freshman year I was really into music. I joined band (first chair flute), chorus (traveled to Lincoln Center to perform, selected for All County and All City, selected for travel choir), orchestra band, and an ensemble on the side. I also did piano (performed at recitals, adjudications, received Distinction in Grade 8 ABRSM and Theory, competitions, etc.).

Suddenly, I gained an interest in track (after joining indoor) and promptly abandoned my musical responsibilities (I still practiced, but I wasn’t as passionate, nor did I have the time to practice 3+ hours a day). I joined Varsity Indoor and competed with the team for a season and a half.

Then I gained an interest in debate. I quit track (it was sapping too much of my time), and I joined the Model UN, Junior State, and Debate teams at my school. I secured an officer position in Junior State, worked as an intern for local politicians, and won a few tournaments in debate.

Then my interests switched to biology. I joined Science Olympiad, made semifinals for USABO, competed in local science competitions (I won some awards), etc.

And then I started getting into technology, starting a TSA, competing in competitive computing events, working online to make website designs, getting selected to be webmaster for several organizations…

And now, as a sophomore, I’m still participating in many of the extracurriculars listed here (along with more, if you can even believe it.) I still have moderately high grades (they could be better, though, and I know it’s mainly because of spreading myself too thin), and I sleep well, but I’m scared of what this could mean for the future - even beyond high school. How do I force myself to commit to one activity, as opposed to jumping back and forth between different activities? From my success, albeit relatively shortlived, in these pursuits, I know that I could be great at a number of fields, but I want to be able to specialize.

Should I quit the clubs I’ve joined each time my interests change? Won’t this negatively impact my college resume? (At my school, we’re required to submit quarterly extracurricular forms detailing what activities we’ve done. I’ve so far managed to not hand in any of mine in fear that my guidance counselor will think I’m over-committed - which I am.) Finally, how do I figure out what I want, when my interests constantly change?

If it’s any help, I’ve been like this since forever, and I’m sure I’m not the only one (one of the reasons why I’m asking on CC in the first place!) I’m hoping you can provide me with advice - high school, career, life - about what I should do, and how to stick to one interest even as my passions wax and wane.

[crimes]

I think everyone’s passions tend to vary, especially as they explore, develop and expose themselves to new things. It’s part of growing up and probably better than you feel this way now than in 10, 20 years. You could always keep this up However, I’m skeptical about your list of accomplishments- given that you’re currently a sophomore, a year and a half of high school doesn’t really line up with the amount of time you said you spent on each activity…

Having said that, if you are indeed being truthful about your resume, you should probably make your situation clear in your application. You could use this to your advantage and try to highlight how you learn or adapt to new areas easily, take initiative to learn things on your own, and how well you balance a busy schedule with academics. It would be risky to say that you’re “passionate”, though, without some persuasive essays.

Look at your accomplishments and see if you notice a pattern- are you picking up these things just to gain some awards/titles? Do you really just like learning about or doing new things? Are there any similarities in the activities you enjoy (problem solving, action, teamwork, etc)? Try to set some rules for yourself when evaluating your interests and choosing the next series of activities you join.

You also mentioned in another post that you found arts and music unnecessary- obviously, if you feel that way you should just drop those activities. Ask yourself what you want to do in the future, as a career and for pleasure. Consider specific goals. Are any of those activities relevant to those goals, and can the skills you gain from those be applied in various ways in case those goals change (and they probably will)? I’d emphasize application here- how are you going to use what you’ve learned from these high school ECs later on in life?

Continuing on like this, you run the risk of having a ton of time-consuming responsibilities by senior year, all of which involve subjects you don’t really care about (according to admissions experts ~apparently~ it would be a lot better to have one area you spend almost all your free time in than four, though that’s not always the reality either). I wouldn’t be too concerned about having a busy end to high school because that’s pretty much expected, but your personal satisfaction ought to be paramount. ECs are about commitment and being happy/proud of what you do.

I wish you all the best!