Confidence in College

In college, it’s easy to find yourself doubting your capabilities. 

From getting a question wrong in class, to not getting onto that sports team you really admired, to constantly comparing yourself to the next student, college life can sometimes really have a debilitating effect on your self-confidence. I remember in high school feeling like I had all the time in the world to manage school work, participate in all my extracurriculars, and on top of all that, have a social life. But in college, it seems to be a considerably harder feat to maintain this well-roundedness while not constantly comparing yourself to the next person in class or in a club or in your social circle who seems to always be doing “better” than you. 

Some days I feel like I’m on top of the world, and others I feel like I should absolutely not be a Holy Cross student. One day during class I’ll give a great presentation and during others I’ll give an explanation to a question where the professor will thereafter look at me as if I’m from outer space. 

And in my junior year here at Holy Cross, I’ve learned how to grapple with maintaining this balance of accepting defeat at times with little (or a lot of!) hit to the ego, and at others, being really proud of myself for showing even the slightest semblance of improvement, consistency, and determination in a class, extracurricular, or anything else. 

Sometimes, even, what we think are the “defeats” are actually the most important catalysts to finding your confidence in college. The times when those downtrodden feelings of insecurity hit are often the times where confidence is needed the most, and more importantly, where it shines the most. Confidence is sometimes all about just reminding yourself of who you really are, especially during those times where you’re doubting yourself or unsure of where to take the next step. 

I competed at a moot court tournament a few weekends ago. I arrived extremely anxious, utterly dubious of my capabilities. I kept feeling throughout the season at practices that I wasn’t reaching my potential, and during the first round of the competition, I let the doubt and anxiety and those creeping insecurities show. I immediately had to remind myself of all the skills I knew I had. It was all about confidence. After the first round, I knew what I needed to embody to go on. My partner and I ended up getting second place on that first day of the competition. That was a win. 

And who would have known that the only thing I needed was just a little confidence. 

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