Control is something that dictates almost every aspect of our lives. As Muhlenberg students, we tend to see control as this big thing, like power dynamics and major life decisions. In reality, control plays a part in every decision we make, big or small. While it might not be our decision every single time, there is always something we have control over at any given point in our lives.
So even though college is a major transition to gaining more control over your life, it can feel overwhelming and sometimes like you don’t have power. We asked some students around campus what they thought they had control over.
Between this video and a survey, we asked students to reflect on what they had control over. We split up the answers into five categories: reactions, attitude, interactions, self-care, and school. Within each category, even though some struggled to find an answer, every student was able to recognize something they had control over. These answers varied from how they choose to interact with people, how they react to situations, the amount of effort they put into something, or even something as simple as what time they chose to eat for breakfast or their coffee order.
A majority of students’ answers fell under the self-care category. Students, like Elisabeth Loiselle ‘24, shared that she felt she had control over when she went to the gym. Danielle Blumenthal ‘27, Dan Beagle ‘26, and others noted that they felt a sense of control over their food choices. Another common group of answers fell under the category of attitude. Katie Raab ‘24, Nicole DiSanto ‘25, Ellie Armbruster ‘26, Reece Montano ’27, and a few other students all noted they felt they had control over their attitudes towards different situations.
As student journalists, we understand that we are not professionals and can not give professional advice. However, we can express that we understand the feeling of being out of control. We are all human and it is ok to feel out of control at some points. Not only do other students understand the feeling of lacking control, but the faculty and staff at Muhlenberg understand that feeling as well. Michele Paules, Director of Student Support Services at Muhlenberg, emphasizes the idea of controlling the controllable, “Those are uncontrollables you know, that that’s an uncontrollable, you can’t control that. But what offshoot of that do you have control over and that helps you get grounded a little bit more.” It is important to remember what you can control, especially in times when everything feels out of your power.
We hope this project stands as a reminder to everyone that when you feel hopeless, these are some reminders of things other students in similar situations feel they have control over and you might too. Control does not have to be this big thing that dictates your entire life, it can be a simple action that can change the trajectory of your day.
