Your worth is not determined by a piece of paper or a number. It is determined by the type of person you are.
Being conformed since we were little kiddies to think that not getting “good grades” goes hand in hand with our futures going down the drain is not the case, especially right now.
We are in a panoramic and deserve some slack, shoot A LOT of it. Not only did we have to endure the pressure of COVID-19, but also what a virtual student entails, dealing with inconsiderate professors, miscommunication between staff and administration, financial hardships and being forced to one way of learning. With all of that, we should be getting paid*cough cough Mr. President.*
Although there are some people who have been blessed to transition easily — kudos to them –, those who are still struggling — you are not in this alone. As a first generation student, college was a challenge I was preparing myself for, but virtual learning was a curve ball I wasn’t prepared for.
During my fall semester I had a family emergency that took my eyes off of school for a quick second but that second lasted longer than expected. The school work piled up so fast, it almost seemed impossible to complete it all. I was always a person who enjoyed school and never was bad at it, so to see my grades dropping quickly, I thought I was a goner.
With all of the stress I had gone through depression, which I didn’t realize until I saw a quote that said “Black women don’t often recognize that they are struggling with depression or anxiety. Instead, they think they’re failing.” That’s when it clicked. Ending my first semester as a freshman with a 1.18 GPA I was actually happy because honestly I thought it was going to be lower, but the most important thing was I didn’t see myself as less than, lazy, or even stupid. I saw myself as a complex person who isn’t just a student, but had life thrown at her and did the best she could to catch it.
That was my accomplishment, validating myself and not society.
Failing is inevitable, you will never learn if you do not fail. Throughout everything, congratulate yourself, be proud of every single thing you are doing and try your best to enjoy life during these trying times. If anything this pandemic has taught us is time, life and memories are important. Work on soaking up every second.