I hope you all have been having a lovely week. It's the beginning of a new school year and we're quickly approaching the middle of the semester again! Crazy how time flies, isn't it? Although I'm enjoying my classes this semester, there was a time (ahem, last semester) when I wasn't and had even seriously considered dropping out of college because of a lack of motivation. Ever felt that way? Now granted, there was a plethora of circumstances (transferring and moving had a lot to do with it) that led up to it, but it still happened nonetheless. Did you know transfer students have a much higher drop out rate? So what made the difference? How did I go from almost dropping out to taking the most classes I've ever taken and enjoying it? Well this is why I bring you these 5 tips!
1. TAKE A BREAK.
This can be anything from taking 3 classes instead of 4 or taking the whole semester off or just taking the summer off, but do it. Do it for your sanity because you NEED it. More than likely, if you're at the stage where you feel like you're done it's because you're burned out from working too hard. Take a break. A TRUE break. Do things that you love. See family. Be with friends. Surround yourself with their love and remind yourself why you're living in the first place.
2. Do something you're interested in!
I know this is extremely cliche, but there's a reason why. Once you've taken some time to feel rebooted it's time to slowly start over again. What made the biggest difference was changing up my classes a semester to take some electives and major classes that I WANTED to take. No more stats and random prerequisites for me! I purposely chose classes that counted toward my major but also had interesting material.
3. Consider a job (any entry level job) in the field you're interested in.
This will not only give you motivation to strive towards your dream in the classroom, but will get your foot in the door in the industry you potentially want to work in. Plus, you have a resume builder! In my case, I chose to do an internship so not only do I get REAL LIFE experience, but upper level class credit as well. The thing about college is that it's draining...on ALL levels. You give your time, your energy, and your money without seeing ANY of the rewards yet!! That is incredibly draining mentally, physically, and emotionally. It's draining and disappointing to feel like your efforts are wasted and to keep giving without receiving anything (yet). Here is where a job is different. When you have a job you come in, do your work, and get paid after a certain amount of hours have been put into it. It may not be immediate gratification, but it's pretty close. It gives decent motivation to keep going by using a tangible reward and it makes all the difference!
4. Use your skills and/or gain new ones.
Going off of point 3, incorporating real world experience is a motivator in itself because you know what? It's NOT school, it's NOT a classroom. In the real world, you have a skill and you are hired for the skill set you provide. Go ahead, get hired somewhere, and see that your skills are valued and can be used! No matter how experienced or inexperienced you are, you will realize that you are MORE than a nameless face in a classroom and that you are capable of being compensated for your efforts. If you feel like you don't have a particular skill set yet, then pick a subject you're passionate about and start learning more about it. You'll gain confidence and hopefully gain more skills along the way! College is hard. I repeat, COLLEGE IS HARD and it's not always fair. Failing a class or bombing a test because you got a crappy professor or because the material was too hard to grasp can knock your confidence, but learning a new skill can help build it back up!
5. And last, but certainly not least, ASK for support from family, friends, a counselor, etc.
Reach out. Reaching out and letting it out are two incredibly important concepts. You'll not only feel better, but people will be able to know what's going on with you and what you're going through. Will it be uncomfortable? Possibly. Will it hurt your pride a little to ask for help? Possibly. But it's necessary. I reached out to people and it was tremendously comforting. People would tell me their stories of when they were in college and how they had similar experiences. It helps to know you're not alone and that there have been THOUSANDS of students who've felt the same way. Ask them for advice, hear their stories, and realize that it's completely normal to feel this way and use their success stories as motivation to keep going! You can do it!
*It's important to note that most colleges have a free counseling and/or mental health support system in place because they know that college is a tough transition to make. There are online resources and support groups out there that can help as well.
I hope at least some of these tips help and remember that college is a journey!
-G
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