It’s the start of the new year, and with that, the new semester. This is an opportunity to truly make the most of your academic career. Now, I’m not here to tell you that your New Year’s resolution could be for better grades, but, it couldn’t hurt to make that a goal. Besides, the best way to stick it to your horrible professor from last semester, is to prove him or her wrong. The only way to do that, is by improving yourself.
Let’s face it; college will challenge you in every way possible. Just when you think you can’t pull another all-nighter, you remember you have a twelve-page paper due. Though receiving a college degree is said to be one of the most rewarding things you can do in your life, it does not come without a lot of struggle and a lot of heartache. This semester I challenge you to fight through the struggle as hard as you can this semester. Though there will be times when it’s extremely difficult, just remind yourself that you’re halfway there. Then suddenly, it can get better.
As college students, we only see what’s right in front of us. We have a hard time remembering that other things and other people exist outside of our sheltered lives. This semester we should try and remind ourselves that not everyone is fortunate enough to receive an education. Therefore, we should not take it for granted. In the United States, you can attend grade school through secondary school without challenge, regardless of race, gender or socio-economic status. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case in some countries around the world. I challenge you to remind yourself of this, whenever you feel like not going to class or a study session. Be mindful that there are people who would love to have that problem, but unfortunately do not.
Don’t let a mistake define you. Often times, we think that one mistake is the end of the world. Luckily, it’s not. If you fail a test or a quiz it’s perfectly okay. You aren’t learning if you don’t fail sometimes. Though it’s a hard pill to slow, failure is the best teacher you’ll ever have. I challenge you to turn every failure into a lesson learned. Do better on the next test or quiz. Don’t get into the habit of doing the bare minimum, but instead continue to work hard.
You might not realize it now, but you have the potential to make this the best semester you’ve ever had. Your grades don’t define who you are as a person, but your work ethic does. There is no reason why you can’t have a 4.0 that you’ve always dreamed of this semester. Though the road won’t be easy, it will definitely be worth it. Realistically speaking, a few changes in behavior could go a long way. However, I’ve learned that it’s all about how you start off. As one of my favorite quotes goes:
“Slow and Steady wins the race.”
- Aesop
