Confidence.
Written by: Ayrwyn Cousins
Since the beginning of this term, I have been struggling with a lack of self-confidence. I have been searching desperately for a reason as to why this has occurred, but I can never quite settle on a conclusion. It could be several things: seasonal depression, stress, negativity from people around me, or perhaps it is my self-image that is bringing me down. Each of these reasons is just as likely as the other, and it has left me perplexed as to what the next step is in recovering the confidence I had last year. I have researched, and it seems to be a common theme among students entering their second year. Many of us all seem to be dealing with the same self-doubt symptoms, so I decided to dive deeper into this issue.
This sense of hopelessness plagues so many students, especially those in their second year, and is caused by many things. However, the main one is stress, and perhaps the jump from the requirements of your first year is far less hefty compared to the ones required from your second year.
It is important to note that you are not alone in this struggle and that just because you may be struggling a little more with your studies this term does not mean you are any less intelligent or capable than before. On top of that, we all had a pretty long break (4 months!), which can undoubtedly cause you to have some burnout coming back to the responsibilities and pressures of being a post-secondary student.
On top of this, every one of us has stressors that are somewhat unique to all of us. For instance, I joined the Curling Team here at CUE - and while I love the sport, it is proving to be far more complex than I could have foreseen. However, even with that in mind, I know that I am learning, so I will not be perfect at it - and no matter how much I improve, I will never be ‘perfect’ at it. Lowering the impossible standards you place on yourself is vital to see just how skilled and talented you are at the things you do in life.
Every single one of us has multiple reasons to be confident in ourselves, so I urge every one of you to see yourself for your accomplishments rather than your ‘so-called’ failures. As Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”. Finish this semester with your head held high! We all deserve to be confident in our skin. No matter what changes or obstacles are thrown in our way.
