For a lot of people, college brings a wave of new responsibilities and independence that can sometimes be just as overwhelming as it is freeing. In high school all you really needed to do was get into college. Now we’re trying to get employed, like adults and that’s scary. You’re expected to join and lead clubs, find internships and participate fully in class discussion. Or at least that’s the vision of the perfect college student, the one with the skills and experience that will lead to success. If you have no idea how to get there, or how you could possibly juggle all of that, then I have news for you: you are very much so not alone.
College is a learning process at every step of the way, for everyone around you. They had to learn how to get involved and juggle their responsibilities and find internships. Even now, they’re still learning. So when the perfectionist in you rears its ugly head and says that you’re not doing enough or reminds you that someone else is doing better, remember this:
There is no such thing as the perfect college student who does everything right.
It is so easy to look at someone and assume that they have their life together, but we don’t always know someone’s story. The most capable students get stressed, and even presidents of student organizations break down.
So: you, as you are, can do great things.
You don’t have to undergo some massive transformation. You can get stressed out and have bad days and still succeed. You are capable of more than you know. While you might need to branch out, get organized and learn some new skills, you are capable.
Even though a detailed guide for your future is not coming in the mail anytime soon, and even though you won’t magically wake up on your 22nd birthday ready to be an adult, the more experiences you have and the more willing you are to show up and put in some work, the better off you’ll be. And even then, you can still cry and get stressed and need a hug, but you’ll know how to pick yourself back up.