Facing challenges in school is an unavoidable part of being a student, but experiences in struggle and defeat will build strong resilience.
Academic challenges may revolve around classes that never fail to test our limits. Enrolling in a rigorous course can be overwhelming at first, and it is intimidating to be surrounded by students who we may think are smarter.
It is easy to get discouraged, but similar to competing against more experienced players in a sport, going up against people who are more skilled will heighten the levels we aim to reach, and our motivation to improve will increase.
Undoubtedly, choosing to stay in a comfortable position with little competition and minimal effort is the easy route, just as swimming in the shallow waters of a pool instead of venturing out into deeper levels is safer. However, we should ask ourselves why we choose to remain in a place where our feet touch the ground when we have the option of seeking a different route with new experiences and memories.
School offers many opportunities around every corner. Joining a new club or class might ignite a passion for that subject and can open new doors and possibilities as a future career or field. Making friends with different backgrounds and similar interests can forge life-long connections. In our path to achieving these successes lay inevitable obstacles, such as habits that keep us from voicing our thoughts, or hard times balancing time schedules.
Even though it may be human nature to try to slip past challenging situations and save us the trouble of dealing with them, facing them head-on and “rising to the occasion” is a trait that is truly beneficial in all types of situations in life, not just school-related.
Developing the ability to bounce back after difficulties is resilience. We can obtain this skill by correcting and learning from the mistakes we make, moving past them with positivity, and experiencing daily challenges with confidence and endurance.