The last few weeks have been a challenge for many students, and that is no understatement.
From being upended and told to leave campus and their daily lives, to undergoing reworked syllabuses, to unscheduled meetings and classes at inconvenient times, to larger classwork loads and to more pressure to keep up in the midst of the global pandemic, the last few weeks for many have felt like a drag on time, and the energy to maintain a certain standard of achievement may have subsided a bit.
However, we are about to enter into a critical time in the semester.
With finals creeping up around the corner and with final projects and assignments due, the time is now to ignite the fire inside and push through to the end.
I know for many students it may seem impossible. Many are tired and weary after a roller coaster of a semester. Many are simply looking toward the future and yearning for the warmth of summer and the days where social distancing and stay-at-home orders are a thing of the past. Many are tired of being bogged down with online health assessments, exams, stress, discussion boards and the works, and not many students want to or care to finish strong.
Yet, the mandate is there.
At the end of the day, the mandate to finish strong is present, and regardless of how long this pandemic lasts, the grades we earn this semester will stick with us as we enter the workforce, apply for graduate school or even apply for more financial aid.
In fact, reason would tell us that the stronger you finish now, the more it will help you in the future; I mean, what better way to apply for, say, law school and show that during the chaos that entrapped the entire world, you still managed a 4.0 GPA?
Grades still do matter, and now more than ever the challenge of showing we are capable of keeping up and staying strong in the face of harsh adversity is present.
Many students want to throw in the towel and call it a semester. I completely understand; I have days, more so than I’d like, where I simply don’t have the drive to work on anything, especially anything long-term.
However, I have a challenge to all students who may come across this. My challenge to everyone feeling defeated is to keep pushing.
It may feel like nagging or pressure, but I promise you that a little bit more of a shove, and you’ll be proud of the results that are produced.
MICHAEL GUIDO