The first couple of days were perfect: no classes, no quizzes and no stress. I didn’t have to worry about textbooks or access codes. My main priority was getting settled in my new dorm and preparing for the school year. Life was great. Not to mention, it was still my birthday month, so of course I was happy. I felt the good energy and positivity that usually comes with a new academic semester.
As soon as classes started, everything went downhill. I found myself feeling very stagnant mainly because I did not set any goals. Eventually, I started to lose motivation and my only goal was getting through the day. My relationship with God was non-existent for a couple of weeks which led me to falling in a really dark place; it was quite scary.
Some days were better than others, but overall my college experience was becoming very boring and mentally draining. I did not have anything exciting going on in my life. One day, I decided to sit down and really get in tune with my emotions. So, I took out one of my many journals, played some music and started writing about my experience so far. It really helped me to get some things off my chest and clear my mind. Then, I set my monthly goals and organized them based on what they were: academic, mental health, etc.
Doing this did not solve all my problems, but it allowed me to take control of my life. To this day, I still have to push myself to go to every class, stay active in the organizations I’m apart of and prioritize my mental health. Thankfully, I’m better now. I’m learning how to truly master adulting by prioritizing what needs to get done first. I’m learning how to control my emotions by thinking before I react and not letting minor mishaps stress me out. My relationship with God is a work in progress, but it’s getting there. Finally, I’m still working on my goals. I’ve created an action plan on how I’m going to achieve them.
To the college student reading this article who may be going through the exact same thing: just know that it will get better. My favorite quote of all time is actually a screenshot of a post made on social media. I’ve had it in my iPhone photo album for three years. It states, “Right now you might be in a situation that you think you won’t survive, but six months ago you were in a situation that you didn’t think you’d survive and two years before that you were in a situation you didn’t think you’d survive and the point is, you will always surprise yourself and you will always make it through.”
Whenever I am going through something, I refer back to this quote because it is the most realistic quote I’ve ever come across. I’ve already been through so much at the age of 19 and I successfully got over it. College is not easy sometimes, but it is what you make of it. You can either let your situation define you or learn from it and I’ve chosen to do the latter.