We all know the saying, “you learn from your mistakes.” Well, what happens when we now live in a society where we can’t make mistakes? What happens when we now live in a world with absolutely no room for human error? College students, especially women, are now feeling more pressure than ever to succeed, but to do so perfectly. Stress is a never-ending presence, and many women feel that if they do not perform flawlessly on every test, quiz, presentation, and perform perfectly in social situations as well, then there is little hope for success.
Does this sound familiar to you? Take a second to think about how absolutely ridiculous the above statements are. More and more college women are trying to achieve an impossible point of perfection, putting themselves under unnecessary amounts of stress, but for what? It has taken me some time, but I’ve realized that the pressure we are putting on ourselves as college students is almost dangerous. Yes, I realize our economy is not its best, the job market is tough, and we all want to be the best women we can possibly be, but we can achieve this without making ourselves go crazy.
90 percent of female college students reported feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do in the previous 12 months (17 percentage points higher than college men). Researchers found that a many girls doubt themselves, so to overcome this doubt, girls often do a little extra to be “good enough.” Women also reported feeling exhausted, but not from physical activity, feelings of hopelessness at least once in the past twelve months, and rated academics as “traumatic or difficult to handle” in much larger percentages than men. These statistics are not that alarming, however, as too many of us can relate to these overwhelming pressures.
It is natural for all of us Collegiettes to experience stress throughout college years. With pressures coming from nearly every aspect of life, it is normal for us to occasionally feel overwhelmed. But what we must constantly remember is to keep things in perspective, and maintain a healthy outlook. Here a few things I suggest to keep the pressure from getting to you:
- Take 45 minutes- one hour per day for yourself. Do something you want to do, such as catch up on this week’s “Gossip Girl,” workout, or even just sleep.
- Make a schedule of what to do each day, allowing a certain amount of time for each activity. When you have a schedule, you’re more likely to be productive on each assignment. Remember to schedule in 10 minute study breaks every 1-2 hours!
- Eat meals with your friends. You have to eat no matter what, so take time out of your day to relax for a little with your friends, and have fun over a meal.
The important thing to remember is that none of us are perfect. We can strive to be all we want, but we never will be. So set realistic goals for yourself, and just do the best you can. And it is okay to make mistakes and learn from them.