Rest, don't quit
December 07, 2020
If there was ever a year when the world really felt like giving up, it's been 2020.
As a final year student, this year has exhausted me, both emotionally and physically.
Since second year, I knew how challenging and demanding third year would be but Covid-19 really made things worse for us. A 5 month semester was suddenly slashed to 3 months even though we had the same amount of work (if not more) of the typical 5 month semester. To make matters worse, our classes were a mixture of online and contact classes but because of data struggles (I know I'm not the only one), I couldn't attend all my online classes which meant A LOT of self-learning.
Due dates were coming at me fast, the workload was insane, and I just couldn't keep up. I honestly felt like giving up.
I obviously wasn't going to quit school completely; I just didn't want to try anymore. I was too tired too. My brain was tired. My body was tired. I was tired!
But I thought back to all the work I put in over the past two years, the goals I set for myself. What good would it be if I worked so hard for 2 years and decided to slack when it mattered most? What standard would I be setting for myself if every time things get hard, I decide to give up?
So I pushed myself; in fact, I forced myself to work. I dragged myself out of bed everyday. Pushed myself to study, to do my assignments, work on my project, get my Work Integrated Learning hours in. I pushed myself and finally here I am, final week of college!
I'm not going to lie and say forcing myself actually made things easier, it didn't. But every time I felt like giving up, I had to remember why I started.
Which is what I'm saying to you today; do not give up. Take a break if you need to, rest - definitely rest, but don't give up. Not on yourself, not on your dreams.
Your dream is still valid even when you're tired. Your dream is still valid even when you face challenges. Let your dream fuel you and motivate you to put in the work that you need, to get yourself where you need to be.
Until next time, peace and love!