Mediocre Is Not Mediocre

At many colleges, universities, and even high schools, springtime brings good weather, final papers and awards season. 

No, I don’t mean the Oscars with the fancy dresses and red carpets and secret envelopes. 

The months of March, April, and May signify the time when students in schools are awarded plaques, medals, and certificates at ceremonies that recognize an individual’s contribution to their university.

You can receive an award for your stellar academics, service, leadership, fulfillment of your university’s values, or any other combination of accolades and accomplishments that deserve recognition and a round of applause. 

Now, before I go any further, I want to make one thing very clear: winning an award is amazing. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes for someone to be exceptional enough to receive an honor from a university, team, or organization. This article is not meant to diminish or invalidate all the successes, hard work, and recognition that someone who has won any type of award deserves. 

That being said, there are tons and tons of people who work hard in their own capacities and never receive more than a pat on the back. 

We seem to exist in a world where the standard and expectation continues to rise. You have to take more than (the recommended) fifteen credits, plus join five clubs (and make sure to have a leadership position in at least three of those), plus volunteer, make time for enriching travel programs, foster connections with every professor and student imaginable, figure out an internship, work a job (or two or three), have a flourishing social life and humble-brag about it all. 

However, I’d like to take a second just to remember why we are all here: to graduate with a college degree.

Yes, it is great to experience new things, meet new people, and develop new skills in organization, leadership, and communication. 

Yes, those are all parts of college that you can take advantage of while also working towards a degree.

Yes, people will constantly tell you that you should do more, step outside your comfort zone, and push yourself to be a more well-rounded and marketable post-grad individual. 

But, that still doesn’t change the fact that you are here to get a degree. 

The expectation should not be a degree and an award for excellence and winning “Club of the Year” for your organization and receiving “Employee of the Century” for your part-time on-campus job. All of those other things are fantastic perks and feats that deserve recognition, but that does not mean they should be the standard. 

Long story short: graduating from college is an accomplishment. You do not need to feel “less than” because it feels like everywhere you turn someone is winning an extra award. 

You can still feel proud of yourself because you studied hard for an exam and got an 83, even if the person next to you did not study at all and got a perfect score. 

You can still treat yourself to a celebratory scoop of ice cream at the Hickey because you got up and gave a presentation in your ethics class that you were really nervous about all week. 

And, at the end of all of this, you can and should be the most proud of yourself when you walk across the stage at graduation and get to feel the (empty but metaphorical) leather encasing of your diploma after all your years of hard work and grit that may or may not have gone unnoticed. 

So this awards season, don’t get down on yourself for feeling “mediocre” because you didn’t win anything special. 

Just remember that the expectation does not have to be going the extra mile. 

You’re doing enough, wherever you are in life. 

Be proud of yourself for that. 

P.S. For all of you out there who have already brought home some hardware from this year’s awards season (@myroommates), congratulations! Feel proud of yourself for all your hard work and dedication! You did it!

• #awards
• college
• mental health