Have you ever felt that impending fear that you’ve started something off badly and you don’t know what to do next? If you have, you’re not alone. Coming back from summer break can be tough no matter what year you are, and a difficult transition can often affect your school work and social life. Whether you’re struggling in classes, missing home or just feeling down, there is always room for you to recover and have a great fall semester.
Before you begin to consider how you can regain your confidence this semester, it is important to understand that others around you are going through similar experiences. Although this fact won’t necessarily change your situation, it is certainly comforting. At some point in college, all of us undergo a difficult period that makes us lose hope and confidence in ourselves. I can tell you from experience that despite those difficult times, you’ll always come out stronger and better than ever. So, when you’re on the path to recovery, knowing that you have fellow Hokies who also struggle not only gives you a strong sense of community but also a motivation to move forward and be your best self.
The first important step in recovering from a difficult start to the year is maintaining a positive outlook throughout the process. If you notice yourself falling behind, dwelling on your failures and missteps will not help you improve; in fact, it will keep you stuck in a bad place. I know this idea seems obvious, but it’s easy for us to let ourselves maintain a negative mindset when we’re going through something we don’t like. So, to gain a positive outlook, it’s important to remind yourself that you’re fully capable of doing amazing things. Think about a time in your life where you felt happy, motivated and successful, and tell yourself that you can be that person again at any time.
Another step you can take to becoming your best self this semester is changing up your routine. Sometimes, the way you schedule your day can have a negative impact on school work and/or mental health. If you’ve been studying at home all week, switch it up and go to a coffee shop or the library. If you’ve been going to bed at 2:00 a.m. every night, go to bed an hour or two earlier and wake up feeling more refreshed. Try eating at different dining halls and restaurants. All in all, changing up your routine from time to time can help you find what works best for you and hopefully put you in a happier place.
Finally, one of the most important aspects of college life (which we tend to forget about) is giving ourselves time to relax in our own space. Persistently stressing about that one test you failed or that essay you have to write next week isn’t going to help you improve yourself.
Before the start of each week, plan out an hour or two per day to do something relaxing that you’ll have to look forward to. This activity could include watching a movie in bed, doing some face masks, lighting a candle and taking a meditation break, and more. This way, you’ll be able to maintain a healthy balance of self-care and work, which can give you a healthy state of mind.
Everything considered, the start of a new semester will almost always be hard. But, if you take my advice, loosening up your stress and making lifestyle changes will almost certainly help you improve yourself and be a happier person. Remember: every day is a new chance to start over.