The members of the Iowa Delta chapter learned more about the importance of time management and building relationships from extracurricular activities this past Wednesday.
The chapter welcomed Kristin Economos, director of student leadership programs at Drake University, to talk to members about being a more effective leader in the fraternity and on campus.
Via Zoom, Economos described a study relating time management to extracurricular activities. The study showed that students who spent more than 30 hours a week on additional activities saw an increase in stress and declining relationships with friends.
“This statistic stuck with me because I am incredibly involved outside of classes,” SigEp junior Austin Ash said. “I’ve noticed when extracurricular activities begin to take a toll on my life instead of creating benefit and Kristin did a great job of helping us find the right balance.”
Economos also explained that one major myth students believe is that being in leadership positions in different student organizations results in a better chance of getting a job after college. Instead, Economos recommended taking leadership experiences not to build a resume but to build sincere relationships with other people.
“That level of relationship building is typically what gets people a foot in the door well beyond what their resumé looks like,” Economos said to the members. “You will never know the kind of people that you will be connected to who will find and create opportunities for you.”
Economos also said remembering names, asking good questions, building a reputation of dependability, setting good boundaries, practicing gratitude and staying focused can increase an individual’s wellbeing on campus.
“We discussed how to set boundaries for yourself and for the time you give others,” junior Will Keith said. “It is so important to set your own boundaries and keep yourself focused in order to live a life that adequately balances productivity and happiness.”