Going into college, I knew the key to success was organization. Before the academic year had even started, I was color-coding my school supplies and filling my Google Calendar with every event, club meeting and extracurricular activity. I turned in all of my assignments a week early, finished several of my classes before finals even began, and was on the Dean’s List every semester. I was doing it all right.
Planning ahead whenever I could and ensured I was early to every event on my calendar, but something still didn’t feel quite right. I was dedicating way too much of my time to my academics and extracurriculars that I forgot one of the most important aspects of being a student at the University of Illinois – appreciating everything that college has to offer.
This made me realize that I needed to wake up and slow down. I had become so wrapped up in my routine that I didn’t allow time for anything else, which was truly a rude awakening. I was constantly a big ball of stress, just waiting for something to go wrong. It was time to make a change, and I encourage those around me with similar habits to do the same!
Choose to Focus on the good, not the bad
It’s easy to beat yourself up over a poor exam grade or a missing homework assignment. You may want to dwell on it for hours, but I encourage you to accept the situation and simply move on. Focus on what you could do better next time to ensure you pass that exam with flying colors or to hand that homework in on time (or better yet, early). We all make mistakes, and it’s important to remember that!
Remember to Prioritize Yourself
I know how easy it is to get wrapped up in the responsibilities of being a college student. Whether it’s cleaning your apartment or dorm, budgeting for the month, staying on top of your classes, prioritizing your campus involvement, searching for internships or making time for your friends, it’s a lot to take on. The world will continue to spin if you decide to step away from something, simply because you have too much on your plate at the moment. So be kind to yourself and remember that you can’t do everything!
Take Advantage of student services on campus
If you are starting to feel that things seem a little heavier than normal or you are becoming increasingly stressed, I highly recommend you take advantage of the many mental health services on campus. There are so many different counseling sessions you can join, many of which are in a group setting and address topics such as stress management and perfectionism. It’s important to prioritize your mental health as a student. You can’t give your 100% if you don’t feel 100% yourself. Once I accepted this myself, I felt like I learned so many valuable coping mechanisms and strategies to keep my stress levels to a minimum. Remind yourself that it’s okay to not always be okay!
