As a child, you daydreamed about what you wanted to be when you grew up. One day, it may have been a firefighter, the next a ballerina, and a week later it was a singer/doctor duo with your own clothing line. The possibilities were endless, and you wanted to explore every last idea to decide on the perfect career path for you. With adulthood sneaking up on you, the pressure of deciding on what you wanted to be consumed your mind as you toured and applied for colleges. You put hours of time into research to help decide what you want to be, so that by the time you start college, or within the first year, you are confident you have found your calling, your future, your destiny. For me, it was nursing.
However, once you ultimately decide on your calling, it is not an easy stroll to the finish line from there. There are hurdles and quicksand and rivers filled with crocodiles you have to swim through. Not literally, but you get the idea, it’s a challenge. In high school, you were naive to think that once you declared a major, it was smooth sailing from there. Every student I know who whizzed through high school without studying had to put in countless hours of studying for a single test just to barely pass it at one time or another.
It’s terrifying to think that your dream may never become a reality because “it’s too hard” or you think “I’m not smart enough for this.” What do you do when doubts that you’ll never make it through college begin to flood your mind? Here are some tips regarding what you can do if you feel this way and some things you can do to make college easier.
1. Take a break.
Now, I'm not saying to ignore your responsibilities and watch an SVU marathon instead (guilty). But if you’re going on your sixth hour in the library, you deserve a break. Buy a coloring book, watch Netflix, or my personal favorite, take a nap. Yeah, you may have to study for a test Tuesday, a quiz Wednesday and a paper due tomorrow, but you’re not going to be able to focus and perform your best academically without rest. So do not be afraid to take that second nap. Give your brain a chance to relax sometimes.
2. Never give up.
If you know with all your heart and soul that you one day want to be a pediatric nurse, go for it and try not to let anything stop you, including failing a class. Failing a class and not doing well on exams can be discouraging and create ideas that you may not be able to one day achieve your dream. Do not let this negativity consume you. Go to tutoring, be that person in the front of class asking questions, live in your professor’s office and harass older students about what they did to succeed. So, next time around, you feel confident you’ll get an A and will know how to avoid failing again. You’re not just paying for the classes, but all of the services the university offers, so take advantage and remember C's really do get degrees. You got this.
3. Consider every option.
It may be hard to consider switching majors after putting all of the effort you have into your current one, but for some people, switching is the right decision. It’s better to find out that your current dream is not the right one for you before you’re swimming in debt from trying to pursue it. If you are unhappy and/or wondering if this is really what you want to do for the rest of your life, consider switching gears. About 80 percent of college students switch their major at least once, so don’t start doubting yourself because you picked the wrong major the first time. You’re still maturing in college and discovering new passions you never knew you had. Embrace them.
4. Make friends with people in the same boat as yourself.
This is beneficial for two reasons. First being, you have study buddies who you can go to with your plethora of questions and confusion. When they are just as confused as you are, you also have a group of people to vent to about how your professor definitely never taught you that. They'll elbow you so you wake up when you fall asleep in class after pulling yet another all-nighter. The second reason is to have a group of people who you can celebrate with Friday night for making it through the week without a mental breakdown. Find a friend group with who you can be serious when the time comes, but have fun with when you have to unwind. These people will become your best friends over the next four, maybe five years; they will be your support system when you feel like you just aren’t smart enough.
5. Get involved around campus.
The more involved I am, the better I have found I do in school. Don’t overwhelm yourself by taking on too many extra activities (school does come first), but having a full schedule allows you less time to slack off and forces you to have good time management. If you know you have a meeting at 2 p.m. and another at 5 p.m., you can use the time in between to finish some homework. Being involved also aids in making friends, helps you grow as a person and relieves stress since you will (hopefully) be involved in something you enjoy. All of which will improve your overall happiness.
Final Thoughts
The final, maybe most important, piece of advice is to stay positive. It is scary when you feel you are destined for failure and don’t know where to turn but it will all work out in the end. The temptation to give up will taunt you, but when you finally get that grade you studied all week to achieve, it is the most rewarding feeling. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone to be where you want to be. In the end, whether you arrive at your original destination or not, you will be a stronger, wiser person. If you do not graduate with the degree you declared when you entered college, it is not the end of the world. Remember when you were a kid and the thought of what you wanted to be changed like the seasons? This happens in college too. New dreams, new passions and new goals blossom. Don't be afraid to explore them.
