When you first go to college your main mission is to just get through it. As the years go by you start to think exactly what you want to do as a career. The pressure just increases after each meeting with your advisor. I had to meet with my advisor about 4 different times the first semester of my sophomore year just decide what I really wanted to major in. That is when I decided to do a double major in Psychology and Family Child Studies. Deciding to do a double major was a decision I made on a whim and had no idea what I was going to get myself into.
During my sophomore year I grew as a student as my first year I did slip up with my schooling and not get the best grades. As a student, it can be very stressful to have two jobs, helping, your family, and doing your school work. I struggled to keep my grades to where I wanted them to be. I would always beat myself up for it and it would bring down my self-esteem. This is when I noticed myself always comparing to other students and felt like I couldn't keep up or had my life together. I met with a graduate advisor to tell him my interests in pursuing psychology further into a graduate program. He basically told me that I could apply to the program, but there is a slim chance I could get in because they accept out of state students instead of students who attend my school. After this meeting, I honestly felt defeated that my own school would barely look at me if I were to apply. My first thought after all of this is why I would be wanting to apply to a 7-year graduate program after I will have completed 16 years of school already.
Once my junior came around I started to believe in myself more as I was able to network with people in the field I am interested in. I realized I just need to organize more time to school as it is my biggest priority if I want to get into grad school. This past semester I was able to connect more with my professors and they were able to help me go toward a direction which best suited me and my desires. At this point in my life job and school wise, I feel like I am able to manage the million and one things going on.
Now, in the spring semester of my junior year, I have also added a research opportunity to help me gain more knowledge and research experience so I can be better prepared for grad school. The schools that I am looking at all require to have this background and experience and I find that there is no better time than now to get ready.
Another thing that has started to weigh on me this semester is the GRE. All of my desired require them as well. The GRE is like the ACT or SAT but a lot more intense and harder. It is a test that determines if you have the score needed to get into the grad program you are trying to get into. I have looked into workshops being offered at my school. The problem is they all cost an arm and a leg, which as a broke college student I cannot afford. $1300 for a GRE workshop? No thank you. Luckily, I have been able to acquire a study book and free materials from the GRE website to help me study. Even after this semester is over I will still be studying my life away for this test in hopes to take it this fall.
With everything I have going on in mind, I have found it to be a very stressful junior year and year in general. I have learned so much about better ways to be time efficient and organized. Grad school seems like a headache, but I am pretty sure it'll be worth it in the end.
If I have any advice for other college students going through these stresses, it would be to make sure to have time for yourself and don't give up on your end goal
