By Staff Writer Tighe Ratcliffe.

Do you ever find yourself feeling bogged down by stress? Do you ever have too much time on your hands or are feeling bored? Do you feel like your life is lacking that spark?
If so, you are in need of a hobby, and lucky for you, there’s an endless list to choose from.
If you think you’re to busy for a hobby, I have news for you…you’re not! The great thing about finding something that you can turn into a hobby is that you can put it on hold if your time constraints are too big for a little while.

Unless of course your hobby is a group effort sort of thing, then you might run into some challenges. But those can easily be fixed if you prioritize your time.

So what are some common hobbies? Painting, writing stories or poetry, exercising, are good examples.

Usually, hobbies allow you to go at your own pace of learning or developing. And the more time you put in, the better you tend to get, which in tern makes you feel better about yourself.

If you put in enough effort, you might realize that your hobby is actually something that you might want to make a career out of.

Take me for example, I started out playing ukulele roughly 3 years ago.

Then a little over a year ago I started playing piano in CVPA after a long day of classes and homework as a way to relax. And now, I’m forming a band and we’re about to start recording an album I’ve been writing for the past year.

Something that was once just a hobby for me has turned into something that’s given me a sense of purpose that I’ve never felt before.

And now, other people who also used music as their hobby have joined me, and we’re starting to become serious about it. Who knows where this hobby will take us?

It might not go anywhere, but then again it might develop into a career.

Either way, we’re having fun! And that’s the most important part. Our band’s name is Rebels Revelry if you were curious (yes, I’m totally using this for self-promotion).

Anyways, as you can see from my real-life example, hobbies can give you a sense of purpose and make your life enjoyable when things are stressful during school.

And when you start to notice that your hobby is becoming a bigger part of your life, you can always have a more fun plan for after graduation.

Now is the perfect time to begin developing a hobby.

Here at UMass Dartmouth there are so many opportunities for you to explore something that you might be interested in!

This school has the resources and equipment that might not be readily available to you once you graduate.

If you’ve always wanted to explore your artistic side, CVPA is a great place to start.
Many of the art students would be happy to talk to you about what they do, and where you should start along your journey.

If exercising is your hobby, UMass Dartmouth has a top of the line gymnasium, including a swimming pool.

So take it from me, a hobby is the exact thing that you need right now in your life.

Whether it’s something as simple as writing a poem or painting a picture, or something big like starting a band, go out and find something you’re passionate about.

You can thank me later.