I met Jenn on the mall, that path in the middle of campus where everyone pretends to study or chill but really just people-watches. It was Thursday — which basically means Friday in college terms — so I asked what she had planned for the weekend.

She shrugged. “Nothing really. I just sleep and watch movies. I don’t even have hobbies anymore.”

She said back in high school she had them because she had to. Running, choir, cheerleading, something for the extracurricular box. But now in college, there’s no requirement. Just assignments, deadlines, and exhaustion.

And honestly? The Chinelo of junior year gets it.

I worked two jobs, was a TA, had an internship, stayed a full-time student, and went to the gym every single day. If you looked up the word burnout, my face would’ve popped up next to it.

Senior year me still does all those things — plus job hunting — but my picture doesn’t belong beside burnout anymore. You know why? I added hobbies back into my life.

I play Call of Duty (yes, it’s a hobby), cook almost every day, read on my kindle, paint when I can, and built Nelomania. Next year, I’m adding ceramics. Maybe printmaking too.

I feel more balanced now. Not because my schedule got easier — it didn’t — but because I started giving myself permission to do things that don’t “count.” Things that don’t go on a resume, that don’t make money, that no one is grading me for. Just little pockets of joy.

I think somewhere along the line, a lot of us started believing that everything we do has to be productive. That if it doesn’t make progress, it’s a waste of time. But hobbies remind you that your worth isn’t tied to output. It’s tied to being human.

You can be busy and still deserve fun.

And if you’ve forgotten what you like — that’s okay. It’s not gone forever. You just have to give yourself enough stillness to remember.

If you’re looking for hobbies to try, I made a list for you here.