Coming into Loyola my first semester, I couldn’t have been more carefree. I thought I was in a “healthy” state. As the weeks passed, however, work started to pile on and my health took a toll. Sleep deprivation affected my body, stress started escalating, and that “Freshman Fifteen” was slowly packing on. I made academics my sole goal, but quickly I realized I was losing my sanity. My faith in Hinduism has been shaky for my whole life, so I decided to try going to mass. Taize prayer is held every Wednesday for all faiths and is meant to be a time to unwind and relinquish all worries to God. However, when I attended the service, I felt no connection and I felt I was disrespecting those who were there. Next, I attempted to focus on my physical health by eating what I thought was healthy. I would skip meals one day, but the next I would binge on the box of Oreos next to my bed and justify it with the starvation the day before. Everything I had tried had failed since then on, so I focused my energy on mental relaxation. I struggled to get to bed early and tried to listen to music or watch television before bed. With the extra sleep, however, I would wake up early every day and fall asleep during class. Midway through the semester I had an epiphany; I realized my execution to balance my life had been done all wrong. I have always been an all-or-nothing kind of girl, but my first semester at Loyola has lead me to the craft of balance. I formed a workout regimen that I follow for four days a week. This allows me to rest every Wednesday and during the weekends. My organized plan also aids my sleep schedule; working out energizes my days and allows me to fall asleep quickly at night. While I am constantly hungry, I make sure to eat from all categories of the food pyramid. This effort takes care of both my mind and body, but my spiritual center was still chaotic. Luckily, a friend of mine introduced me to the Hindu Student Organization. At first I was hesitant about joining, but they meet on the one day I do not work out so it seemed perfect. I immediately felt cleansed; the connectedness I felt with the people around the room and with God left me awe-struck and relieved. I had found the perfect system for my life. By allowing myself this time to recuperate my mental, physical, and social health, I felt rejuvenated. I was happier and more myself, and my social life at Loyola improved with the organizations I was joining. Finding oneself and getting perfect grades isn’t exactly what college is about; it’s about finding that balance and connections you can apply to the rest of your life. Through organization, I was able to restore the peace in my life and enjoy the latter half of first semester.