How to Navigate Success and Self Care in College
How to Navigate Success and Self Care in College
By: Katie Kerrigan
Now that graduation season is coming to an end, many college students will find themselves looking back on the last few years. College is a time for learning, personal growth, getting to know yourself, and potentially discovering what you want to do with your life. It is a time of laughing, crying, making new friends, and embracing new interests. College is a unique time for everyone, but there are also many experiences that every student will share at some point in their college careers.
While the answers may vary, every student has their own definition of success. To some, success may look like spending an evening at the library getting ahead on assignments. To others, it might be eating a nutritious meal and getting eight hours of sleep ahead of a big test. Regardless of how you define it, understanding what success looks like for you is an essential part of adjusting to the college lifestyle.
Whether you are a current college student, or looking forward to starting your freshman year, it is important to create your own definition of success in college and maintain it through self care.
One of the biggest lessons to learn when it comes to self care is when and how to say no. Especially during freshman year, there can be a lot of pressure to meet new people and make new friends. It is easy to give into anxiety and try to stuff a lifetime of activities into two semesters, which is simply not realistic. Instead of attending every activity or event that comes your way, focus on committing to things that genuinely spark your curiosity. This way you will not overwhelm yourself and you might get to discover some new hobbies along the way.
Saying no is an extremely important part of prioritizing your mental health. On top of attending your classes, adjusting to the college lifestyle can be a lot to process. Make sure you dedicate as much time as you need to rest and reset every week. Ignoring your needs will only lead to stress and burnout, which will hurt you in the long run.
Being open-minded is just as important as knowing your limits. Try new things, even if they seem scary at first. During your college career, you will have new experiences, meet new people, and be put in new situations that might challenge your perceptions of the world. Learn to embrace stepping away from what you are used to.
Another necessity for optimum success is learning to forgive yourself. Sometimes you will miss a homework assignment, get a bad grade on a test, or simply have an off week. Instead of dwelling on your mistakes, understand what you can do to prevent them from happening again and move on. Things like incorporating a planning system or creating daily routines for yourself can help you stay on track and organized.
It can be easy to compare yourself to your peers in college. Do not obsess over everything you see on social media. Just because someone looks like they are having the time of their life does not mean they really are, and it is important to remember that no one is as perfect as they seem online. College is about growing with yourself and discovering your interests, and there is no perfect timeline or perfect way to be a young adult. Avoid comparing your version of success to others and focus on enjoying working toward your own goals.
The most important lesson in any of this is figuring out what success and self care mean to you. Once you know what a successful day in your life contains, you can figure out how to get there. It is also perfectly okay for this to change every year, or even every semester.
Taking time every week to relax and reset is essential for maintaining a balanced lifestyle. Set time aside to watch a movie, go for a walk, cook a meal, or another activity that helps you unwind. Striking a balance between self care and success will help your semesters go by smoothly.
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