There’s something to be said for people who are labeled as ‘extra.’ These people are over the top, always out “doing the most” and, at times, may want to make your eyes roll out of your head … but for good reason. People generally don’t want to be bothered with putting forth all their efforts. Most would rather settle for mediocrity if it meant that they could complete things as early as possible.
Dr. Ruiz, a psychology professor at Alvernia University explains the thought process behind why ‘extra’ has such a negative connotation behind it. “What happens is that, when we look at groups, we see what they’re doing and we want to do what they’re doing. It’s all a social construct. There’s a stereotype with millenials—that they’re associated with just getting by, so when they see someone doing something other than the norm, they consider it extra,” says Ruiz.
“Nonconformity results in negative reinforcement as a way to get people to conform. When humans feel like someone else is doing better than them, instead of trying to do better, they want to bring the other person down, and calling a person ‘extra’ is a way of trying to bring down a person who’s doing more work,” Ruiz explains.
As you get older, you’ll see that ‘extra’ is a quality that you should strive for. The only thing that these people have done is show you how ‘on top of their game’ a person can actually be. Being organized and very detail-oriented is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, these are many qualities that are desirable in an employee, partner and friend.
MacKenzie Sheetz, a sophomore majoring in biobehavioral health, gets called extra by her friends all the time. “I think it’s just a part of the way I grew up. I’m the oldest of four, so I was always kind of like the role model for my siblings, so I always wanted to do the most and feel like I got the most out of it. The satisfaction I receive from doing the most is so much more rewarding to me, and I want to look back and think that I did something with my life,” says Sheetz.
She spends countless hours per week putting 100 percent into a set of activities that she has curated to cater toward her major and interests. Sheetz says, “This year I’m a volunteer at Centre Life Link. I volunteer about 18 hours a week as an EMT to obtain hours for physician’s assistant school which I hope to pursue after my undergrad. That’s usually from 6 p.m. to midnight or 6 a.m. to noon because my days are filled with classes.”
Sheetz is currently at her lowest number of credits in a semester, taking 18 credits and has a 3.7 GPA. Other than that Sheetz is also involved in a THON as a Dancer Relations committee member, Biobehavioral Health Society, Kinesiology Club and LifeLink PSU. She is also a chemistry learning assistant and is aspiring to be a global health minor. She can be frequently found on campus with her gym bag so that she can squeeze in a workout session in between her various activities during the day. “Free time is very limited but at the end of the day, I just feel like when my days are packed it’s a very rewarding experience and I feel like I made the most out of every day and especially here where you only have four years it goes by so fast, and already as a sophomore I can’t believe I’m basically halfway done.”
“Free time is very limited but at the end of the day, I just feel like when my days are packed it’s a very rewarding experience and I feel like I made the most out of every day and especially here where you only have four years it goes by so fast, and already as a sophomore I can’t believe I’m basically halfway done.”
From a professional standpoint, employers want a smart, driven go-getter who stays involved in their community. Type A personalities have an ‘extra’ rap because of how they micromanage everything, but it shouldn’t be a negative quality. For most of their lives, college students will say that they feel that everything is out of their control, whereas these chosen few actually have the power to work a little harder and reap the benefits of being able to do so. It’s incredibly admirable to see a person who knows what they want and to go for it with a clear, structured plan. That’s someone who’s going places.
“Hopefully ‘being extra’ doesn’t have a negative connotation because it’s great to get involved in as much as you can here and make the most of it. Being very involved makes you realize how important it is to stay organized and have good time management skills. I would also say the the things I’m a part of truly make me a better person. Working with people who don’t have all of the opportunities that I have been blessed to have—it makes you grounded and humble and truly realize what’s actually important,” says Sheetz.
Extra can also be showcased in other styles, such as the capacity of a person to go out of their way for others.
Christina Tentilucci, a junior majoring in elementary education, can be characterized to some as being ‘extra.’ She’s the mom that everyone has in their friend group, always taking care of everyone and going out of her way to make sure everyone’s happy, laughing and feeling loved.
“I think when it comes to first impressions, I always get that I’m too peppy, too nice, too energetic or too happy or “she’s so fake,” but this is just how I am,” says Tentilucci. “I feel like when someone says you’re too anything it’s meant to be insulting, like ‘oh you’re too nice,’ but then again you can never be too nice—there aren’t enough nice or happy people out there.” She gets these traits from her mother. “My mom always said there’s nothing wrong with being too anything; you are never too anything. You’re just you, and if anybody ever insults you for being too kind or too happy, then just ignore it because that’s a great thing to be in a world that’s angry, catty and mean.”
Tentilucci’s kind and compassionate demeanor is just something that comes naturally to her. What others see as going far beyond the calling of a typical friend is just in her nature. “I don’t have a reason as to why I do things that I do. It’s just the way that I am and I take care of the people that I love because I love them and they’re my friends,” says Tentilucci. She goes all out for people, but it’s the little things she does for them, like bringing a friend dinner or comforting them in a time of despair that mean the most.
People who are extra have the ability to go above and beyond. Their attention to detail, compassion, determination and overall productivity shows that they are the ones who are going to have it all one day. It’s probably better to be doing the most and going the extra mile because, if nothing else, it shows that you care.