For most of us, since the moment we began college, our lives have seemed to be filled with one task after another, and time seems so be going by too fast. With classes almost every day, extracurriculars to do, and the fundamentals such as sleep, study, shower and eat...we can sometimes feel stressed out and forget the reasons as to why we are in college or are doing what we do daily. We begin to focus more on getting things completed by the deadlines than to enjoy the subjects taught in our classes, the joy of being in college, and the people we meet and have in our lives that have been supporting us.
College is very different from high school, our responsibility level rises. For most of us, we no longer live near family. We take initiative to seek help academically. These changes can cause stress for many people. There have been times during the last two years of my college experience where I have caught myself focusing so much on passing a class or getting a high score on my exams that I have not enjoyed the classes as much as I should. I have been so scared of not accomplishing my goals that I have forgotten to enjoy my four years at this beautiful campus I once dreamed of attending. I have forgotten to enjoy the friendships I have made, the knowledge I have gained academically and socially. Then I realized, "how can I accomplish my goals and go through my daily life stress-free if I do not enjoy the things I do? Isn't college supposed to be this wonderful place that I can discover more about myself and grow into a better person?" Therefore, I have decided to enter my third year at UCLA with a different mentality, and you should, too!
It is a natural reaction to stress out during midterms and finals seasons, but in between those times, take a few moments to reflect and ask yourself why you are pursuing that major, why you wanted to attend college in the first place, do you still want to achieve your goals and how bad do you want to do it, are you balancing between school and all the other important individuals in your life, do you enjoy what you are doing now or are there way you can make it even better? Do not focus too much on how difficult things are. Accomplishments are require hardships, which is why you always feel so proud once you achieve them. Cherish what you have now. Cherish the people that are always there for you to vent, ask help from and give them your time. Most of us only have one chance to experience this phase of our lives.
Enjoy what you are doing and working towards, and with that enthusiasm and devotion, it will help you achieve your goals.
