Every year, we listen to advice from administrators and parents. They tell us that this year will be much harder than the last, that we will fail at first, but eventually we’ll get the hang of things, and it won’t be so daunting. For some, this may be comforting, for others, you hear what I hear–you will fail. Then you freak out.
Okay. Perhaps, the start of a new year is so daunting because we are told we will fail. Yes, their concerns are just helpful warnings so that we (the overachievers who have been obsessing about grades for the past four years to get into college) won’t have mental breakdowns and hysterically declare that the world has ended. However, I returned to my dorm room after orientation, thinking that I was doomed to fail my classes because I was awfully unprepared for college and the rest of my life. I was upset with myself for being so naive to think that I could succeed.
If you’re anything like me, take a deep breath. Use this fear to fuel your work. Use this nervous energy to study harder and to study better. But, most of all, remember that failure is NOT inevitable. It is simply a possibility that you can prepare to avoid. There are tons of resources* on campus to help you if you’re struggling. Don’t worry about failure so much that you can’t possibly succeed.
I’m not saying believe it, and you will achieve it. I’m saying realize that success is an option, and strive for it.
*The Cornerstone Learning Center, Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTLs), Residential Peer Mentors (RPMs), office hours, Teaching Assistants
by Brianna Hines