Being in the middle of a class right now dictated what I wanted to write about today. I’m currently in the last class to complete an associate’s degree, and I’m struggling with what my friend jokingly told me was “senior-itis.” She’s not wrong. I’m just done, over it, and finished, but there’s one little problem. I still have four weeks of class. This brings me to an epiphany that occurred to me when I began this class. I’m committed just enough to pass the class.
It’s a new place for me to be. I’ve always been a hard charger when it came to my academic success. I didn’t get to the top of classes by resting on my laurels. I worked hard to get there, and I didn’t like being knocked off the top of the academic mountain. That was over twenty years ago. When I started this program, I wanted to learn the information more than I wanted to stay at the top academically, but the reality is, if you learn the information, you’ll probably stay at the top. Your view from the top might feel different though because your focus has shifted.
Being back in school with all the responsibilities of middle age means I feel different about success. I don’t want to take the classes for granted because I’m paying for them, but I don’t want to make myself – or anyone around me – miserable because I’m miserable. I want to learn the information so I can help people in the future, but life can’t stop for my class. I decided that I was willing to commit up to a certain point, and then I was willing to accept that I might not do as good in a class if I wasn’t willing to commit more. The surprising thing to me is my acceptance of a possible lower grade due to less commitment on my part.
My whole point here is to ask yourself how committed you’re willing to be to your classes and adjust your expectations accordingly. If you have a full-time job, a family with spouse and kids, or care giving responsibilities, you probably recognize that other things will often have to come before school. I’m here to tell you that’s okay. Put things in perspective and ask yourself what’s more important: school or something else? Pro tip: It doesn’t always have to be school. When you’re preparing to start school, be sure to check this particular expectation at the door, and you’ll probably do better than you expect simply because you prepared yourself beforehand.
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Inspirational verse for the day:
“Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.” Matthew 21:21 (NLT)
All Things Subject to Change 