Pepping Yourself Up Can Help You Keep Your Head Up

Life can be very difficult when you are a college student given the many responsibilities you might have to juggle— work, school, family, a romantic relationship— and some students might find it troublesome to stay on the right track to success.

Some students crack under the pressure of trying to maintain the perfection of everything they do; some students give up on themselves when nothing seems to be going their way and all seems lost.

If you are feeling like this, don’t worry — you are not alone. It is normal to experience these reactions toward the stress of aiming high. The best thing you can do for yourself is keep your head up. It may sound cliché, but a pep talk addressed to yourself actually goes a long way. During this period of your life where you are finishing school and are on the road to a higher degree or to professional employment, others might tell you “you can’t do it”, “that’s too hard for you”, or “that will never happen”, perhaps out of the genuine belief that you won’t be able to accomplish what you tell them you want to accomplish.

I have come across these sayings many times already and have come to realize that such phrases don’t foresee what I’ll amount to when I graduate. In reality, their purpose is to make me stronger, not to determine my fate. They’re like tests of my resolve.

You also have to understand that others sometimes exacerbate the weight of mistakes you may make. Human beings are human beings and sometimes they mess up. Unfortunately, it seems that some people have a tendency to catch others on their mistakes and not their successes. With mistakes comes experience, and with experience comes knowledge. Though it may not seem that way, it’s a win-win situation when you screw up— so long as you don’t repeat the same mistake twice.

Success is not given to you on a pedestal on graduation day. Rather, it’s earned throughout, by studying hard, having and pursuing goals, and being true to yourself. If you’re feeling down, don’t be afraid to talk yourself up.