If you’re reading this, congratulations! You survived another week of college classes. You’re definitely in need of a nap, a hug, and maybe a call from your mom. There are some weeks where you actually feel as if you have your life together, but other days all you want is Netflix, to lie in bed until next Tuesday, and maybe just letting out a good cry for a half hour. You spent hours on assignments that professors just tore you down over, you lost sleep worrying about what grade you have in that same class, and you skipped a few meals to finish that hard math homework. Face it, we all have had that breaking point in our college careers where we just want to give up because we face the fear of not being good enough. It’s a completely normal feeling for college students. If your dreams scare you, congrats; you’re doing college right. College is all about working hard and achieving your goals, but here are some things to remember before you make yourself sick over assignments that probably won’t matter in a few years:
You’re going to succeed, whether you realize it or not. Your grades do not and will not define you. I understand you want to work hard and be the best at what you do, but no amazing grade is worth getting sick or losing sleep over. Your health is way more important than any grade you could ever earn. The sad truth is, your professors won’t care how many hours you worked on their assignment, you just better hand it in on time. They won’t appreciate you falling asleep in class after staying up all night doing homework. Plus, they certainly won’t like it if you get them sick over a head cold you got from all the stress you put on yourself. So, do yourselves both a favor and get enough sleep, and maybe even get ahead on assignments (if that’s even possible).
You just want to make your parents proud. I get it. As happy as they can be watching you accomplish everything you can, I can assure you they rather have you healthy when they see you or hear from you. They won’t want to hear how exhausted you are over a project you procrastinated on, or how sick you sound from all the stress you have been under. It hurts them. They are going to love you no matter what grades you get. They believe in you, so prove to them you can too.
I understand you care about your grades. Crying over them is just a way to tell yourself (and maybe others) that you do care. You do not want to fail, and you simply just want to be good enough. Newsflash sweetie; you are. Whether your professors tell you otherwise, you are enough. You know what you are capable of outside of the classroom. Make sure you remember who you are as a person, and not just a student.
Call me crazy, but enjoy the stress. Embrace the tears you shed over studying what you love because before you know it, you won’t be living in a college dorm crying over homework. You’ll be in the real world, working plenty of hours with a job you love. All that stress will be worth it. In addition to that, keep in mind that one day you’ll wake up next to the love your life, a nice house, and maybe some little feet running around. If that doesn’t convince you everything will be okay, then I don’t know what will.