I WAS TERRIFIED!
I promised to share the wisdom of one of my students who went from insecurity when we first started to work together through to their recent acceptance into law school. Their words are a joy to read, and are better phrased than any paraphrasing I might do. They particularly might resonate with those of you who have managed your academics thus far through natural ability, without the strategies required for significant success at the post-secondary level.
I was terrified my first semester of what was going to happen when I could no longer scrape by based on my natural abilities alone and when I’d really have to start applying myself to studying new material that can’t be intuitively understood and takes sincere studying- only to find myself not being able to.
Today I’d tell myself first, that there is enough support out there many times over to help you with time management, prioritization, breaking down tasks, and procrastination.
Secondly and perhaps most importantly, that the courses that don’t come easily to you, some really at all (like to me, passing 2nd and 3rd year statistics still feels like I’ve won an Olympic gold medal) will be the wins you cherish the most. Earnestly doing your absolute best at something you’re just not wired to be great at while also maintaining your health and emotional well-being to end with barely a C- means more to me today than any easier A I could attain in a social sciences or arts course.
So, in short, be willing to be imperfect and mess it up. Not only are you going to do that for what sometimes feels like a large proportion of the time, it’ll be one of the most freeing experiences of your life. Through the gaps in pretending to have your stuff together and being good at everything, real learning and forging of your interests will shine.
I’d also tell myself that asking for help and using all of the resources available to you is not a response to being weak, it’s what makes people strong.
We all stand on the shoulders of giants.
There’s so much here–sometimes a C- means more than an A. Have the courage to mess up. And build your strength through using the resources that are there!
Thank you for sharing this success with my blog followers: I am looking forward to working with you on the new challenges of first year Law!
And to today’s readers: Connect with me to share your own challenges and successes [email protected]
The information in this blog cannot take the place of support from your own mental health professional or community health resources. Reach out to them. And IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS PLEASE DIAL 911.