You’re doing fine.
Think back to the very first responsibility you ever had. At the time, having something to uphold or do probably felt meaningful. Now, think about the responsibilities you carry currently. Not just that, think about the expectations and opinions of others that you have snowballed on top of these responsibilities. That nagging voice in your head telling you that you aren’t doing enough or reaching your fullest potential. Add on the pressure to carry a family legacy or name. The images of your ancestors who would do anything to be in your position stuck in your brain. Incorporate the fear of failure. The slight chance that everything could go wrong and that you could end up at square one.
For many, these may seem like incredibly negative thoughts that no one should think too much about. For others, this is a brain battle that hits close to home.
When you blend all of these thoughts together in a cycle formation, you get the brain of millions of college students today.
College is a time to explore who you are. A time to try the hobby that you never actually had the guts to pick up. A time to say “yes” to an event you would usually pass on. It’s the first time you are completely on your own. A period when many are rich with time to be selfish. Given the never-ending possibilities to explore, many students experience increased stress levels. How are you supposed to explore it all and still stay true to you?
On the other hand, for some, college isn’t the “best four years of your life.” Many of the best years of our life won’t happen consecutively. This is because, in any situation, there are ups and downs. There are moments when you feel incredibly high and moments that make you forget you ever felt so good.
The pressure that college should be the best 4 years of every student’s lives is preposterous. Students attend college for a multitude of reasons, making it extremely unreasonable for everyone to accomplish this lengthy goal. Some students attend school solely for an education and know that they will dedicate most of their hours to their studies. Some students go to college solely for the social benefits and dive straight into the party scene. Some students hope to indulge in both sides and quickly find that, depending on your course load, it can be virtually impossible.
I’m here to tell you that wherever you are on your college voyage, you’re doing fine. Whether you’re the biology major who cannot catch a break from long lectures and research, the sorority girl who is trying to be the life of the party and get good grades, or whether you’re just a full-time student and human being trying to get by like the rest of us, you’re all doing fine. In fact, you’ve always been fine. Any personal upgrade or accomplishment was merely an addition to the “you” who was always going to be fine.
I have learned a great deal about myself and college life during my 5 semesters at Virginia Tech. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that your freedom truly begins once you take the pressure off of yourself. True happiness is when you’re able to detach yourself from the pressure to be a picture-perfect version of yourself, which is quite literally impossible. Most of the time, this is a figment of our imagination that receives a lot of attention from other people’s opinions and expectations. I’ve learned that my power is being exactly who I am and not giving a fuck if it’s up to par or not.
So, if there is ever a doubt in your mind that you aren’t enough, know that you’re doing fine, and you always have been.