Self-doubt is an issue that a lot of students face today. We often try to do new things but give up the moment we face any semblance of failure.
It leads to many people settling for less and never pushing themselves. They become complacent, never leaving their comfort zone. Thoughts like “This is too hard. I could never accomplish this” infect a lot of people’s mindsets.
I’ve often had thoughts of doubt. This feeling has especially been felt throughout college so far.
In a couple classes I’ve taken, I would settle for just passing or outright giving up. I’d fail once and think it was all over for me.
I think it stems from the fact that my parents and teachers had expected me to do the best. Now, I don’t think this is the fault of any of them. It’s simply an effect of that expectation.
I don’t think I ever truly had a moment where I felt like I did the impossible because it was expected. I was always told I was really smart but never really had a moment where I felt that.
When I entered high school, my workload got a lot heavier. I had to balance high school and dual enrollment classes.
I was able to keep up, but there were a lot of failures I endured. These failures took a toll on my confidence and led to the first influx of doubt.
When I entered college, my self-doubt was at an all-time high. I procrastinated a lot because I would often think, “I’ll do this later, I don’t think I understand how to do it right now.”
Any failures I experienced made me think that I was a lot more behind than I really was. I didn’t push myself enough because I didn’t believe in myself. This led to me failing my first class.
I remember doing badly in one of the labs in that class, and from there, it was a downward spiral. That one failure made me less and less motivated to push myself. Ironically enough, this same class would eventually get me out of this rut.
I retook the class in the summer and found myself in the same boat. I started to think that it was over. I thought that there was no way I could pass the class.
Luckily, I was given one more chance at passing. I remember being so relieved but understood that it wasn’t going to be too easy. The rest was up to me.
During those final weeks, I remember studying religiously. However, even being prepared didn’t get rid of my doubts.
It wasn’t until taking the test that I realized I could do it. I went through that exam like a breeze. Everything seemed so clear to me. For once, I felt like I overcame the odds and truly felt proud of myself.
This exam made me realize that nothing was impossible. The only thing that was holding me back was me. Ever since then, I’ve felt a lot more confident in a lot of things I do, even beyond college.
I know it sounds obvious, but the solution to self-doubt is perseverance. It really boils down to you trying your hardest.
Will you fail? Possibly, but that’s just the nature of life. Not everything will be a success, and that’s OK. Failure builds character. Failure builds strength. You just need to understand that failure can be an option. The only one stopping you from success is you.
