Expert Article (Final)

 We are in this Together

How to be “mentally successful” as a college student 

By Emily Tsai

At some point in our college careers, as much as anyone would like to admit or not, each of us probably experiences a few minor mental breakdowns. Admit it, it happens. Does this sound familiar? 

Picture this: 

It’s the first day back to school from your summer break, you sit down in your BUAD 304 class, and your professor asks, “how was your summer break? What did you do?” You overhear your peers naming top tier companies like Disney, NASA, Goldman Sachs, Bain, and Google. It’s inevitable that your mental comparison of yourself to others begins to happen. It somehow triggers the doubt within yourself and ends with trailing questions about your career or major choices.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 30% of first-time undergraduate students change their major once within the first 3 years of college. By changing majors, this ultimately leads to changing careers. Point blank-- it happens. In times like this, maintaining positive mental health is extremely crucial. However, in a competitive environment of elite institutions, it’s hard! To put yourself in a better position mentally, the first step is acceptance. Accept the fact that you are not alone. Although you may not visibly witness each of your peer’s struggles, trust that at some point they have also experienced the same challenges as you.

Acceptance fits into a variety of situations whether it’s accepting you’re not the best, accepting failure at some point of your life, or something as trivial as accepting a loss of a bet.

Acceptance: Good News, Bad News

The good news is that there is no bad news. Everything is just part of the learning process. In an article by Quartz, a professor in psychology at the University of Toronto said, “acceptance involves not trying to change how we are feeling, but staying in touch with how we are feeling and taking them for what they are.” Acceptance is a mechanism that over time can lead to positive psychological health. With this in mind, acceptance falls under the category of mindfulness in Cognitive Therapy. By practicing mindfulness in addition to acceptance, it can lead to stronger self-confidence. When we become mindful of our actions, our mental state slows down. Therefore, it allows us to make better decisions and feel more confident in our choices (Roberts 1).

                                                                                                                        Artwork by Pablo Stanley

As a transfer student to USC, I have definitely experienced my fair share of imposter syndrome, especially during my first semester. No one ever talks about the midnight cram sessions before an exam or the number of rejections they receive before landing the “perfect” job. Accepting that we’re not alone and keeping in mind that we are enough as ourselves is the first step of becoming “mentally” successful as a college student.

Trust Yourself: Fake It Till You Become It

Second, remember everything you’ve accomplished up to this point has been a product of who you are. Although imposter syndrome is inevitable, there are ways to avoid feeling like an imposter all the time.

                                                                                                                        Artwork by Pablo Stanley

In a Ted talk by Valerie Young, she mentions the difference between an imposter and a non- imposter and their difference in thinking. No one likes to receive rejections, make mistakes, or fail. However, these uncomfortable situations are just parts of life. In instances like these, owning your failures and moving on is one of the most effective ways of overcoming imposter syndrome. Over 70% of the people in this world have experienced this feeling at some point in their life. By talking and normalizing these feelings during difficult times can help one feel less alone. As much as we preach confidence, it is impossible to feel confident 100% of the time. You don't need to feel confident to act confident. Therefore, by "faking it till you make it" during stressful circumstances, it begins to change your perception. Over time, you will start to believe in the new thought and use reframing as a technique. As the result, "rather than having an imposter life, you can have an imposter moment," (Young). Instead of trying to “fake it till you make it,” maybe try to “fake it till you become it.”

Failure: Together We Rise

Did you know failure is ranked amongst one of the greatest fears? A recent study done by Linkagoal found that the fear of failure is 31% of the 1,083 adult respondents. It’s ranked higher than the fear of spiders (30%), being home alone (9%), or even the paranormal (30%). Due to failure, many people missed opportunities from being afraid to make the wrong choices. “It is the number one reason why people don’t set goals or try new things”, said Mohsin Shafique, a former medical student from Linkagoal. 

                                                                                                                        Artwork by Paulo Stanley

It is extremely unpleasant to step out of our comfort zone. However, with every risk, comes a greater reward. A solution Shafique believes is that connecting your ambition with like-minded individuals can help cope with the possible failures. Therefore, there is a reason why college friendships are found to be special. A time in our lives where mistakes are bound to happen, the friendships made in college witness every aspect of that “ugly reality.” These friends share your dreams, aspirations, and moments when you encounter failure. 

                                                                                                                        Artwork by Pablo Stanley

Mental health is an issue that we as a society often don’t stress enough. As humans, we strive for perfection, a standard that just does not exist. We tend to post our greatest accomplishments on social media and neglect our vulnerability. This is why problems like imposter syndrome and fear of failure are so common. We try to live in a perfectly sculpted world with fabricated societal norms. By recognizing these unrealistic standards and accepting ourselves for who we are, it brings us one step closer to a more positive mental health. As for college students, instead of living in fear of failing or covering insecurities with imposter syndrome, acknowledge your own emotions and know that you are not alone. Make life-long friendships, take chances, and remember, shoot for the stars. And if you miss, keep shooting.

Sources:

Lederman, Doug. “Who Changes Majors? (Not Who You Think).” Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/12/08/nearly-third-students-change-major-within-three-years-math-majors-most (8 December 2017).

MacLellan, Lila. “Accepting your darkest emotions is the key to Psychological health.” Quartz. https://qz.com/1034450/accepting-your-darkest-emotions-is-the-key-to-psychological-health/(23 July 2017).

Roberts Ma, Emily. “ Mindfulness Can Increase Self-Confidence.” HealthyPlace. https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/buildingselfesteem/2013/03/how-mindfulness-can-increase-self-confidence (13 March 2013).

Ted Archive. “Thinking Your Way Out of Imposter Syndrome- Valerie Young.” Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7v-GG3SEWQ (5 June 2017).

Morin, Amy. “Using Cognitive Reframing for Mental Health.” Verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/reframing-defined-2610419. (26 February 2020).

Moline, Peg. “We’re far more afraid of failure than ghosts: Here’s how to stare it down.” Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-scared-20151031-story.html (31 October 2015).

Adams, R.L. “5 Ways to Overcome Failure and Achieve Your Goals.” Huffpost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/7-ways-to-overcome-failur_b_8756354 (13 December 2015).

Artwork Citations: 

Stanley, Pablo. “The Imposter.” The Design Team. https://thedesignteam.io ( 20 September 2016).

Stanley, Pablo. “Halloween Costumes for Designers.” The Design Team. https://thedesignteam.io ( 4 October 2016).

Stanley, Pablo. “The Insecure Designer.” The Design Team. https://thedesignteam.io ( 25 January 2017).

Stanley, Pablo. “Caffeine-infused design comics.” The Design Team. https://thedesignteam.io ( 22 February 2018).