The hot-dog-days of July are coming to a sweltering close, and the blazing days of August are right around the corner. With this change in the weather from hot to hotter, the struggle changes from real to even more real as the school year rears its ugly head.
It doesn't have to be that hard, though. Like most things in life, the struggle of the new school year can be alleviated with a solid inspirational quote.
In fact, to assure that your school year starts off strong and successful, here are 13 solid inspirational quotes.
1. For when you just can't seem to get that paper over with already
Some assignments feel natural. Those are the papers that you can jump straight into and knock out in an hour, flat. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world and some assignments will give you a hard time from the start. The best thing to do is take a deep breath and get started.
2. For when you just want to take a nap in the middle of said paper
No matter when or how easily you get started, odds are you're going to run out of motivation eventually. It happens to the best of us. Just take a break! It doesn't matter that you stop for a coffee break, a trip to the bathroom, or an episode of Friends, as long as you jump right back into your assignment before that due date.
3. For those days that people just try your patience
Whether it's an annoying suite mate, a tough professor, or an overbearing mother calling from home every hour, remember to be kind to people. While your words and actions may not have an immediate impact with immediate consequences, remembering to treat people kindly and fairly may benefit you later in the year and even later in life.
4. For the days that you feel like an outcast
Afraid to speak up with an unpopular opinion in class? Scared to talk to that cute guy in your math class because you're afraid you'll seem weird? Paranoid that everybody thinks your choice of outfit for the day will be too loud? Don't be. If we were all supposed to look and act the same, we would. Everybody was born to be different, so why challenge that by conforming to another person's definition of normal?
5. For that one assignment you didn't do so well on
You stayed up all night studying for that major physiology test and completed all of the practice questions before you even thought about going to bed but you still managed to come out of it with a D. What went wrong? Instead of blaming the professor's insanely high standards or your own bad luck, take a moment to analyze the situation.
Maybe you need extra help, not the material. Maybe you need to look into a different form of studying. Maybe you should find a different studying environment. Perhaps you should have started studying much earlier instead of cramming the night before. The only way to get a different outcome is to try a different process.
6. For the opportunities that scare you just a little
Let's face it: change is never easy and almost always terrifying. So you're presented with an opportunity that could very well change your life. That's exciting, but also terrifying. What if it doesn't work out? What if you fall flat on your face? Think of how embarrassed you'd be...but only if you never want to make progress with your life.
Instead, you can ignore the inner pessimist and think of all of the things that could happen if you take that chance and it works out for the better. You never know unless you try. You never fly unless you take that terrifying leap.
7. For when you're looking for the motivation to go the extra mile
So you've finished that assignment you were so worried about a whole week early. Congratulations! The next step is to up the ante and search for improvement before the deadline arrives. Take the time and effort to have your friends, family, and maybe even your professor read over it for a second opinion. Taking the extra time to "perfect" your work may feel like a hassle in the moment but it could be worth your while in the future.
8. For the classes that seem like a waste of time
Stuck in that Gen Ed that you knew, right off the bat, that you would hate? Counting down the minutes until you can return to the dorm and complain about it to your roommate? Feeling like you've wasted your precious time studying information you will never need to know? Instead of wallowing in your self-pity, listen up.
The things that you are supposed to be learning may not interest you now but you never know when they might come in handy. Sometimes even the knowledge that seems irrelevant can make all the difference in the right hands. Now it's up to you to take the initiative to absorb and apply that knowledge.
9. For when you just want to take a nap in the middle of lab
No matter how much we try and wish to deny it, a single lifespan is limited. If there's something you want to accomplish during this time, go for it and go for it with your whole heart. Regardless of the time, it will take to accomplish this goal, time moves on. You might as well perk up and at least try to be interested in that seemingly irrelevant dissection.
10. For the days that everything just seems "too hard
I have some news for you: life is not fair and is not, by any means, easy. Just because you are a triple major with a double minor and two part-time jobs does not mean you get a free pass. You have taken these things upon yourself and, if you are passionate about them, you will put forth the time and effort to be great at them.
Take time to appreciate the difficulty of the things that you've chosen, even when they make you want to tear your hair out. If you can't appreciate these things even in those times, they weren't meant for you and it may be time to re-evaluate.
11. For the days that "getting into your major" makes you feel like a complete idiot
Imagine: you walk into your first dissection as an "official" Biology major...and you completely blank as soon as you pick up a scalpel. Which one of these was the biceps femoris again? What does this squishy thing do? What, for the love of it all, is that instrument called? Relax. It happens to everybody.
We all have to start somewhere but, even though they may poke fun at you, your older classmates and professors have been there too. They laugh because they remember what it was like to be a "newbie" and nervous. Just take a deep breath and remind yourself that you will be in their shoes someday.
12. For the days that you have so much to do but just don't want to do anything
Don't get me wrong, a day off, a day to just "do nothing," is great every once and a while. However, if this becomes your everyday pattern, you will never get anything done and it will show in your school work.
Make it a habit to do at least one "productive" thing every day and, slowly, you will find yourself becoming more productive in general. Deadlines will seem less daunting, laundry won't pile up as frequently, and your life will suddenly be much less stressful. All you have to do is start a habit by forcing yourself into excellence through your daily habits.
13. For the days that you just feel at your wit's end
Nobody is perfect. We all have days that we simply cannot get things done like we want. It's okay! Sometimes it is more beneficial to take a step back and say "this can wait until tomorrow" and just take some time for self-care instead.
Make it your mission to make this school year the best one yet. Dedicate each and every day to at least one small task, whether it progresses your academic career, your relationships, or your personal identity. No matter what you do, just make sure that you make the most of each and every day.
