Let’s face it: online school isn’t for everyone — probably not even most people.
If I’m being honest, this semester has been rough for me. I’ve been lacking in motivation, and because of this, I have been pushing myself to the edge academically, which has taken a toll on my mental health. I haven’t been getting the grades I’ve hoped for, expected or felt that I deserve, and it’s really been stressing me out. I finally came to the realization that I’ve been unnecessarily hard on myself — given the circumstances, I am doing my absolute best, and that’s what should count.
Nearly everyone I’ve talked to in college has had a bad semester, or even a bad year, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Especially right now with online school, college can have serious consequences for one’s mental health. Professors’ expectations of us are high at best, and sometimes it’s hard to just be human and live with the pressure of that.
I’m suspicious that professors are being harder on us this semester out of worry that online school could be “too easy.” Or, who knows, maybe I just have hard professors this semester. Something tells me I’m not alone, though.
Don’t get me wrong, my professors and TAs have been kind and do try to accommodate the class to fit an online format. However, they still seem to expect students — whether consciously or unconsciously — to produce the same caliber of work that they produce under normal circumstances. But I can’t help but remind myself that we’re all just doing our best to navigate online learning.
It’s so important to be kind to yourself during this global pandemic. It is so unlike anything any of us have experienced before, so we shouldn’t expect our “best” to be at its usual. I know mine certainly isn’t. But what matters is I am still trying my best, even if it’s not as good as I’m used to.