When people make plans in advance, knowing they are going to break them. That, I admit, is my greatest pet peeve. By nature, I am a meticulous person; even as a young child, I felt satisfied in knowing where, when and what I would be doing any point of the day. Juggling classes, clubs and two jobs, this is the only way I can run my life without going completely insane. So, it’s safe to say the UNH planners have become my best friend during the past three years.
Therefore, when plans are made, and I pencil in that 4 p.m. appointment in my planner, things get serious. I’m not a fan of receiving a call half an hour before, promptly breaking such plans, especially when I am already driving. This requires me to pull over, turn the radio volume down, answer my phone, and have an awkward conversation pretending I was still home instead of singing along to Taylor Swift.
Most would agree that breaking plans for a legitimate reason (such as a relative being in the hospital or any other unforeseen emergency) is understandable. However, if someone breaks plans just to break them, that’s when I start getting frustrated, especially when the notification is not in a timely fashion. Trust me, I get that we are all in college and have busy lives and all, but is it too hard to text, call, or e-mail saying that, due to unplanned circumstances, a coffee date or get-together must be rescheduled?
What upsets me more is when people sign up for events and never show up; I see this a lot within clubs and organizations, most recently, in USGA. This past Friday at the weekly USGA meeting, it was announced that a majority of individuals who signed up for the annual USGA retreat were backing out at the last second. Of course, I fully expected there to be a few who could no longer attend, but when I heard that close to half of the students who originally signed up changed their minds, I could not believe it.
As members of USGA, the House and Senate, we should be honored to come together for a weekend of uninterrupted brainstorming and bonding. There is no other time during the year where such a motivated group of club and student representatives can come together and discuss ways of improving the university (whilst zip lining, mind you). This program is put on to benefit the whole student body, and is an invaluable experience. By not attending, one is limiting their impact on the UNH community. In general, not showing up to, or backing out of an event at the last second is not very professional, and it puts unnecessary strains on the organization hosting the function.
I deeply encourage UNH students to get involved with the many clubs and organizations available on campus. You’d be surprised at how unique and diverse of a selection we have in RSOs compared to other colleges and universities. It is also important that, if you choose to join these groups, you devote some time and energy into participation. Being involved with your chosen organizations will give you invaluable experience as a leader and an overall great college experience. Whatever you decide to do, be courteous and conscious of other people’s responsibilities.
