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Losing Motivation in College

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hampton U chapter.

Midterms have passed, break is over but classes aren’t getting any easier and work keeps piling up. You’re sick of all-nighters, multiple page papers and teachers who don’t care about either, right? What is there to do when you simply want to throw in the towel because college isn’t what you expected?

 

KEEP GOING.

 

Nothing good will come easy to you, remember that. First of all, why did you come to college? People don’t just come to college and spend tens of thousands of dollars (at minimum) because they have nothing better to do. Remember why you sent in those applications and wrote those letters, everything is for a reason and let your reasoning for stepping foot on campus continue to motivate you. Whether you want to be a positive influence for generations to come, or you wanted to obtain your degree in order to jumpstart your career, don’t give up on those things. Ultimately, you would be letting yourself down, especially if this was a dream of yours.

Additionally, if you’re stressed out and overwhelmed, don’t keep it in. There is always someone to talk to when you’re having a problem. If you can’t keep up with your work or aren’t doing well in a class, speak to the teacher. They’re supposed to be on campus to help you. Go to their office hours, let them know what’s going on and see what happens, a lot of teachers are very understanding as long as you keep the lines of communication open between the two of you. If you’re stressed out with school work in addition to other things, take advantage of the student counseling center on your campus. There are trained professionals ready to not only listen to you, but to help you as well. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to talk to a counselor. Mental health in college isn’t talked about, so it remains a taboo. Look at these statistics from bestcolleges.com:

  • 80% of students feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities in college

  • 40% of students do not seek help

  • 50% of students have been so anxious, that they struggled in school

If you, are someone you know are suffering from depression, anxiety or any other mental illness in college, seek help. College is a learning experience, but you shouldn’t have to suffer alone.

College is hard, we all know that, because we’re all going through it. Understand that if college was easy, then everyone would be here. It may seem like school is breaking you down right now, but it’s only building you up and preparing you for the real world that’s in front of you. I’m not saying it’ll get easier, but that doesn’t mean that you should give up. Keep pushing, it’ll all be worth it when you have that degree with your name on it.

Kyla L. Wright is a sophomore journalism major, marketing minor at Hampton University. Born and raised in the city of Detroit, Kyla was fortunate to receive many opportunities to be a spokesperson for the many organizations that she was apart of -- which is how she discovered her passion for writing and public speaking. In high school, Kyla took many journalism classes, attended journalism-based camps, and even won journalistic awards. Upon entering college, Kyla jumped into her field rather quickly. She thrived in her journalism classes at Hampton, began writing for her university newspaper, the Hampton Script, and even started her own blog, which could be found at thedreamdiaries.wordpress.com . Recently, Kyla was honored to find out she had made the list of "Hampton U Brands" for being a blogger on campus. Kyla is very active on her campus, as she's a member of the SGA's Women's Caucus, a Resident Assistant (RA), and of course is a YouTuber and writer for HerCampus. Upon graduation from Hampton, Kyla would like to attend The University of Georgia or The University of Oxford. Ultimately, Kyla wants to use her voice as a journalist to give back to her community and bring others up with her. She loves seeing others succeed, especially young women who are told that they cannot.