It’s been about three months since I started college, and I can’t count how many times I’ve said, “I’ve got to lock in.” Usually, I’m surrounded by people from my major, and every time I say it, I hear the same phrase echoed back with tired agreement. It’s our shared mantra, a promise to put distractions aside and focus on the assignments, projects, and exams that supposedly determine our futures. Success, we’re told, means giving up small pleasures now to secure something bigger later. It’s a belief that has shaped how I spend time with friends, how I see my family, and even how I make personal decisions.
But what does “locking in” really mean? According to Urban Dictionary, it means “to get ready or prepare yourself.” In an academic context, this preparation often means focusing on what you have to learn — that paper worth 40 percent of your grade, or the grueling exam that will decide whether you Q-drop the class or pass with a graceful C-. For many of us college students, especially those in STEM-focused majors (nothing against you, business or art major lovers), locking in has become part of our existence.
In a moment of crisis — or when we feel ourselves slipping away into the world of doomscrolling or eternal yapping — we say, “Let’s lock in,” almost like a prayer. We hope our minds can refocus on the “crucial” and countless assignments that fill our Canvas pages. And when we finally see our grades, that loud, bold 72 staring back at us, we blame ourselves. We think: I didn’t focus enough. I didn’t study enough. I didn’t lock in enough. I mean, if I studied for seven hours straight, following three Pomodoro lofi-beats timer videos, I should get a 100, right?
When “Locking in” isn’t enough
But what happens when that’s not the result? When seven hours of studying doesn’t lead to the perfect score you envisioned in your caffeine-induced dreams? Or when the paper you spent countless hours revising receives a mediocre grade that doesn’t reflect the passion and thought behind every paragraph? What happens when locking in fails you?
That’s what I mean by the curse. The idea of locking in comes with sacrifice — giving up the little pleasures that make life sweet. It means abandoning the “insignificant” things that make us happy and choosing instead to focus on what promises a better future: a better job, a better financial life, a better tomorrow. It teaches us to stop looking at now and fix our eyes on what’s next. Because tomorrow is what matters….right?
I’ve been in college for three months, and I’ve spent most of that time in the PCL — the library with its towering walls and nearly always-occupied booths on the fifth floor. That’s where I’ve spent countless hours “locking in.” Every day, I open my computer and dive into assignments, notes, and projects because I want to succeed. I need to. But those hours of labor haven’t brought me much success.
And I’ll be honest with you — failure sucks. It’s a punch to the gut every time I check my grades and see numbers that don’t reflect the effort I put in. It makes me feel useless. And that uselessness is what deepens the curse, because now “locking in” feels painful — like something that betrays you. It leaves you lying on your dorm floor, wondering, How? And honestly, that’s something I’m still trying to figure out. I don’t know why all that work didn’t pay off or why I was left with disappointment, but I’m learning to move on from that “failure” and focus on what’s next.
FINDING PEACE IN FAILING
Failing grades aren’t permanent, and as many TAs and professors have told me, they don’t define who you are. Of course, adopting a mindset like “A 70? Whatever, I’ll do better next time,” or “C’s get degrees,” isn’t easy — especially if you’ve been an A+ student most of your life. Low grades can really hit your confidence. But I say: let the F’s happen. Let the C’s come. Don’t put your grades on a pedestal and forget about the other important parts of life.
I’m not saying you should party all night, drink like there’s no tomorrow, and ignore your responsibilities. What I am saying is: find balance. Watch a movie. Go to the park. Hang out with your friends. Don’t spend endless hours locked up in a library, thinking that chaining your brain to your computer screen will guarantee you that dream A. Experiment with your study methods. Talk to classmates about how they study. Don’t be afraid to ask for help — TAs, professors, and tutors are all there because they want to see you succeed.
Most importantly, don’t fall victim to the curse of “locking in.” Find the study rhythm that fits your brain. We all see the world differently, and that means we all learn differently, too.