In my college experience thus far, I’ve found that the need to compete for opportunities in college is an experience that is shared in all college students. This is not to say that the idea of healthy competition among college students is bad. For some students, the integration of competition within their academic life helps them to produce their best quality of work. Nonetheless, there are instances where unhealthy competition can affect our relationships with other people and hinder acceptance of our own failures.
If you have a few close friends who are aspiring to enter same field as you, chances are there will be some competition. Although this kind of scenario is likely unavoidable, feelings of envy have the potential to put your close friendships in jeopardy. If this experience sounds a lot like yours, then here are a few steps you can take to combat envy before healthy competition turns into unhealthy competition:
Stop Comparing Yourself to Other People
Although this might be a lot harder than it sounds, refraining from comparing yourself to your friends can allow you take back control of your own life. Focus your energy on being more aware of your successes and motivating yourself to pursue more. Comparisons often results in resentment towards others and deprive us of dignity within ourselves. Your talents are too unique to compare to other people and too special to compare them to the best qualities of others.
Surround Yourself With Positive People
Surround yourself with people who are uplifting and will enrich your life with positivity. Having a network of people who have your best interests in mind makes a world of difference when going through your first few semesters of colleges. The people who you choose to spend time with should make you feel good about yourself and encouraged to keep pursuing opportunities that come your way.
Turn Competition into Motivation
If there is one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that there is value in learning from people who perform better than you. Find inspiration in people who cause you to feel envious and utilize their strategies as motivation to further your own career path. Use this sense of collegiate competition to reflect on your own strengths, skills, and assets that can contribute to your success during your college experience.