What once seemed a far away dream; a far away finish line- suddenly lies at an arm’s reach. The months of our hard work-slaving away, that didn’t seem to pay off- the challenges that seemed impossible to overcome are slowly becoming irrelevant. But the closer the dream draws to us – the more challenging the fight becomes.
The play field suddenly transforms into a battle field- where the ultimate goal is survival. Mistakes that were once forgiven- now become significant losses. It is no longer about passing and moving on- it is no longer about just learning to forget. The rules of the game have changed- it is no longer enough to do what is required.
So what is expected of us?
A lot of my colleagues are faced with immerse pressure. We are fighting hard to get our Honors degrees- to get into the best graduate programs and enjoy what is our last university experience. The modules seem to demand more and more of us. The lecturers expect us to deliver the highest quality in terms of our work. And the competition for graduate programs seems to increase with each application. The pressure continues to increase. How does one keep going? How does one keep focused? How do you maintain the balance?
Ralph Marston quotes ‘”Keep going, and allow your efforts to build upon one another. Keep going, and transform the disappointments into achievements”
I have learnt to take the pressure one day at a time. To let go of the things I have no control over. With each disappointment, I try to find the silver lining and learn from it. If I dwell on the negative things- on what could have been, the more time I waste for things I could have achieved. Instead of complaining about the difficulty of the chapter- I focus on what value I can derive from it- that would make me a better opponent. Instead of complaining about the rejection from a graduate program- I pick myself up and try finding a better company to apply to.
It is up to us to keep going as Marston advices- to keep working hard. It may seem like this semester is impossible to get through, but the end goal will be worth it. There will be a pay off at the end of the finish line- so go on…. Fight for you degree!
Get up, get inspired, get moving and get involved in making a positive difference. This is your moment to come fully to life. Ralph Marston
