Sometimes, I am so anchored by assignments and extracurricular activities that I am absolutely convinced that I am going to fail out of college and consequently live a life in exile in the mountains somewhere raising sheep and avoiding the government so I won't have to pay off my semi-completed (though still disgustingly high) student loans.
And sometimes, I'm tempted to stop doing whatever homework assignments that I'm doing and drop out of my own accord.
I've begun to notice a pattern. When school gets hard, I want to quit. And if I had any sort of plan or idea as to what I would be doing other than college, then I probably would quit. Maybe it's my never-ending teen angst, or maybe it's the sophomore slump possessing me, but it's been really bothering me lately.
No matter how much you love it, college is hard. Everything around you is new, you have 748 extracurricular activities that you’re hopelessly devoted to, your coursework is unnecessarily excessive, and, of course, you should probably eat and sleep if you get the chance. Those are just the challenges that you expect. Life has a funny way of slapping you in the face sometimes too. My extremely original and unique point is that it’s hard to balance college life sometimes.
I learned a lot last semester through growing apathy and at last, changing my major. You shouldn’t quit something because it’s challenging, but you should quit something because it’s not for you. If you want to quit something just because it got hard, think again. The rest of your life will be full of hardships, and many of them you won’t be able to quit. Sometimes, you have to face challenges. That seems obvious, but it took a lot for me to realize that. You have to keep going, you have to fight. The point of college isn’t to break you, it’s to help shape your life into something better. Let the struggle help you do that.
Here’s another novel idea: College is not just about going to class. WHAT. I know, I’m sure when you got your acceptance letters you dreamed of waking up, going to class, studying, and repeating that every day! Or you dreamed of meeting your best friends, or of never taking a morning class ever again, or of becoming a campus legend. I’d be willing to make a hefty bet that while academics were an important factor in your decision, they probably weren’t the only factor. College is so much more than just class. There are so many opportunities to grow as a person. Most (if not all) colleges host incredible speakers that can provide you with a unique insight that you definitely won’t get in class. They also throw really awesome concerts! You can also learn from talking to your peers. In a world where it’s considered strange to sit right next to someone that you don’t know, this can be tough. But if you’re friendly and open-minded, others will open up to you. Or you know those ice breakers that everyone hates? Sometimes even they have value. Read the favorite book of the kid next to you, or listen to their favorite band. You never know what you’ll discover.
Something else that has negatively affected my college experience is not living in the present. Whether it be because I’m distracted on my phone, or dwelling on the past, or even worrying about the future, it doesn’t matter because it takes me away from where I am in that moment and that’s an issue. We spend so much time wishing that we were somewhere else or not paying attention. I think that it would do us all some good to really pay attention to each other, and what’s going on around us. That’s not to say that phones are bad, or that you shouldn’t plan ahead. I have seen some spectacular photos from following NASA and National Geographic on Instagram. And you definitely should think of the future, at least a little bit. The problem is when we let these things consume us. Don’t lost sleep over whether or not you’ll have a job in two years. Don’t ignore your friends to play on your phone. Try playing a board game or going to a new restaurant!
This is a unique stage of your life, and it will end. The good, the bad, and the ugly will end with it, and you’ll move on to the next stage in your life. So try not to get too discouraged. It’s really, really hard sometimes. But it’s also truly and illuminatingly beautiful other times, and doesn’t that alone make it worth it?
