Lately, I've heard a lot of comments from students on my campus and on other campuses that sadden and frustrate me.
"I'm not smart enough to be here"
"Everyone else around me is so much smarter than I am"
"I'm just going to give up and drop out"
The comments are made in a joking manner occasionally, but I think there's an important underlying theme. University makes a lot of people feel worthless and not as smart as they actually are. Amidst the stress and rigor of classes, students forget that they were talented enough to get into the schools they attend. I completely understand and support that college is supposed to be challenging. I'm a firm believer that the best way to grow in any aspect of life is to work hard and overcome obstacles, but when the majority of students are feeling like they can't keep their heads above water, perhaps there is something wrong.
Now, I'm not an expert on how education should be structured and I don't believe that it should be made easier, but I do think students can be encouraged more. Some of the classes that I have learned the most from are classes based in healthy discussion and not right or wrong answers. If I had flawed logic in an explanation or another student disagreed with me, we were able to discuss it and learn as we spoke. I think that too much emphasis is put on a number that has no real way of defining who you are (and this is coming from the perfectionist who lost hours of sleep over her GPA in high school). We are told that there's one way to be successful and that's typically to get a job where you can make a lot of money, but what about being able to make a difference? Students who are talented in different fields that may not fit into this definition of success are discouraged from following their dreams.
If you're a student reading this and you're feeling overwhelmed, take a step back, breathe, and look at all you've accomplished thus far. You graduated from high school, you have continued your education after high school in some way, and you've most likely participated in extracurricular activities and/or worked a job. One grade on a test does not define who you are. How smart another student is doesn't diminish how smart and talented you are.
Don't give up. Keep working hard and doing your best. Don't forget that your mental health is just as important as your schoolwork. Encourage those around you who are also feeling disheartened about their intelligence. Try to learn in every aspect of life, so that the learning you have to do in the classroom seems less tedious and more like another adventure. Don't lose sight of how far you've come and the goals you have ahead of you.
You've got this.
