FALLing Behind

Autumn is a season of change, of new beginnings, and of hopes that this time around, we will change our poor habits and replace them with virtuous ones. I so enjoy Fall because it inspires me to change for the better, to grow as a person as well as a student. However, it is about this time in October we begin to experience some turbulence in our everyday schedules.

This week and the next are jam-packed with midterm exams, meetings and open planning appointments in addition to the time we spend in class, at work, or trying to grab lunch with friends. Let's face it, it is hard to catch our breath when it seems like, as a friend of mind had said, one day is chasing after the next. Sleep becomes a distant dream, homework becomes a foreboding task, and we suddenly feel the strain of stress as we stare at our laptop screen of 20 unread emails sent to our inbox within a matter of minutes.

Then it hits us: we are falling behind.

Pause for a moment. Take in a deep breath. Look around you. You are not alone in feeling overwhelmed and fatigued after several days of hard work. I say this to you, as it has become my own mantra: "It is going to be OK." Sure, we all want to ace our exams, papers, and projects. But these goals should not be made at the expense of our well-being. We all need a bit of perspective when it comes to doing our best when we experience test after test. Life is full of tests, and not just the academic ones. The question is- are we going to run ourselves into the ground in attempt to achieve our high expectations 24/7 or are we going to put our best foot forward, think positively, and move on from there?

There are times when our academics and life itself demand more of us than we are able to offer. But please do not lose heart. These are short-term trials, tests of character, that give us the choice to either buckle under pressure and give up or stand firm and give it our best. Really all anyone can ask of us is that we do our best, nothing more nothing less. So smile, hold on because with patience and passage of time, falling behind will turn into springing ahead.