First off, I would like to start off my saying I am not condoning skipping classes and/or intentionally failing out of college. Don’t waste your (parents) money and time!
I have always considered myself to be a good student, and my grades have always important to me, sometimes too important. I used to define myself by what grades I got. A bad grade would wreck my whole day, if not my whole week. The amount of panic attacks and emotional breakdowns over schoolwork I have had are too numerous to count. My anxiety over school contributed to physical and mental illnesses.
Yes, it is important to do your best in school. As college students, our job is to get a degree. Even if you are in school because your parents made you or you didn’t know what else to do, a degree is the end goal.
However, YOU ARE NOT YOUR GRADES.
Being in school doesn’t mean you should lose sight of yourself. College is all about finding a balance, a balance between your education and finding out who you are.
So at what point should you take a step back and re-evaluate?
1. When your grades are taking a toll on your mental health.
2. When you are suffering emotionally.
3. When you are sacrificing your physical health.
All of these are signs that it might be some time for some self-love. Make sure you aren’t giving everything to your education to the point where it is hurting you. You need to care of your mental, emotional, and physical health. Go for a run, spend some time with our friends, read a book, listen to music.
BALANCE IS KEY.
School is supposed to be challenging. However, it is just a few years of your life – not your whole life. You have to make it out of college in one piece if you want to see how all your hard work has paid off!