Four AP courses, two IB courses, six college courses, countless honors courses, distinguished scholar, 4.0 – all in the interest of graduating with honors, is a lot. The privilege to attach the little gold tassel to your cap and put the gold cords around your neck, just to let everyone know you are slightly above average. But I often find myself asking, was all that work worth it?
Because of all the work, I did in high school, I have the opportunity to graduate from St. Bonaventure early. I’ve known I would be able to do this since my sophomore year of high school. So, I expected college to be a bit easier. Don’t get me wrong, I did not expect to coast through, but I did think my schedule would be a bit more relaxed than high school. Yet here we are, five weeks in, and I seem to be in the same position I’ve been in for the past four years, stressed and overwhelmed.
This, however, is no fault of my professors. It’s like an addiction, this concept of pushing myself to my limits. I’ve taken on extra work from clubs to intensive applications for summer programs to extra work from my advisor. All this is optional, of course. I can’t describe the feeling, but the stress and the pressure always motivate me to do better.
That being said, sometimes it is overwhelming. I have to remind myself often that it is okay to slow down or take a break. It’s not necessary to be doing work 24/7.
Taking your mental health into account and building in time for self-care is so important. Whether it’s reading a book, watching a movie, taking a walk, or even taking a nap, allowing yourself time to unwind and do absolutely nothing is key to staying on top of all your work and managing your schedule. I’ve found that working on something every second lessens my productivity because it is easier for me to get distracted and take frequent breaks.
Finding a balance of social life, schoolwork, and personal time in high school was easy because I knew my environment. All my friends lived around me and were all in the same “honors kid” situation, so they too understood the importance of prioritizing. I knew my teachers and classes well enough to allow the perfect amount of time for schoolwork. As for my personal time, I had my own room; I never had an issue finding time to be alone and just chill.
But at Bonas, it’s an all new experience. I have to make new friends – a separate pressure in itself. Some of the friends I have made don’t relate to the work I have because they aren’t psychotic, academic, masochists like me. And, obviously, I don’t have my own room. Some of my schedule revolves around what my roommate is doing that day.
One thing that helps calm my anxiety is the notion that lots of other freshmen are going through this as well. We are all in a new environment and we need to remember that we should give ourselves grace. Adjusting to our new lives will take time and it is okay to not be okay sometimes.