It's funny how things change through time.

I used to think the older I got, the more things I would be able to handle. After all, I'm supposed to become more responsible and mature over time. However, recently I've actually realized it's the complete opposite.

After my second grade teacher, Mrs. Bodie, awarded me the "future leader of tomorrow" diploma at our end-of-the-year awards assembly, I always set high goals for myself and believed I could do anything I wanted.

In high school I did it all. From being class vice president to newspaper and yearbook editor in chief, to captain of the volleyball and softball team. I was also part of Key Club, French Club, worked at Outback Steakhouse on the weekends ... basically an all-around kid. Whatever club, organization, or sport I was part of, I always fully dedicated myself and did the best I could. Group projects were also the same thing and I hated when people slacked off, so I would just end up taking over everything.

Even though I was never on power trips, my friends started calling me tyrant and dictator. Instead of hurting me, that just all added to my leadership and "Super Claudia" ego. I could do everything, even the impossible.

Then I came to Penn State, which was a dream come true -- a school with 40,000 students, a great reputation, and therefore, unbelievable opportunities.

With so many clubs and organizations on campus, I was always going to have something to do.

Freshman year, I joined every single club or organization that had to do with journalism -- since that's my major -- which was probably like five. Then I wanted to join the Rugby Club, tryout for Club Softball, play every intramural sport, take art classes and a bartending course. I wanted to be a Lion Scout or Ambassador. I even gave the sorority thing a try. I wanted, like in high school, to do everything.

But then college reality started kicking in. Classes take up more of your time, and anything you're part of requires more responsibility than it would've in high school.

It took a while for me to realize that as you get older, you do become more responsible and mature, but you are not necessarily able to do more.

Responsibility will teach you that in order to succeed, you must take your time with things and make sure they are done right.

This semester I was promoted to Metro Chief at the Collegian, which understandably takes up a lot of my time, but I still thought I could handle other things on the side. But it didn't quite work out.

Because I spend about 30 hours each week assigning stories, reading and editing them, and meeting with other editors, this week I had to quit two other organizations I was part of.

When I was trying to juggle all three and I had so much to do all the time, events overlapped. I let people down. I was never home. I was overstressed.

While it was hard to let go of the other two, I knew I had done the right thing in choosing the Collegian as my first priority.

Even though I've been at the Collegian for 10 hours straight at times, I always leave with a smile and asking myself where time went. I've made amazing friends here and if I feel homesick, I can just walk over to the business side and talk to my roomies.

It's all about choosing your niche, and I belong at the Collegian. I belong with the rest of the weird, sarcastic, alcoholic, crazy, wonderful people that work with me.

When I'm out of college and have a job, I will have even less time to do things besides work and I will probably ask myself- how I did it then. But in the meantime, I will just do what I do and enjoy it.