Why You Shouldn’t Lose Hope

To those who have completed their first day of finals, to those who got all their exams over with, and to those who still have a couple more to get through, your classmates offer their advice and encouragement to get you through these last couple days of first semester.

Although it may seem tough now with the semester winding down and finals coming to a close, make time for you! Take breaks when you’re studying and try not to drown yourself in work. Remember that after this semester there will be another, and you will always have another chance to improve, so don’t lose hope. You’re better than that. As Vivek Vermani (’15) encouraged, “It may seem like this time of the semester is when everything just seems to be conspiring against you and you can’t focus on your work, but you can’t forget that this is the last push. This is what you have been working towards the entire semester.” Just a few more days, IMSA.

Wrestling to get those borderline grades over the edge can be quite the struggle, but bottling up your stress is never a good ideas so Deepika Kommineni (former ’15) urges you to go “find a friend, a parent, a teacher, or any other adult you can trust to hear you out. It might be hard to dig yourself out of the hole you’re buried in, but if you care enough to feel better, you won’t stop looking for that person. You should also accept the fact that adults probably know more than you and no matter how awkward the conversation can be, they’ll know how to say. Just don’t lose hope.”

Don’t surround yourself with Debby Downers and Negative Nellies. Keep your spirits up and your faith high. Believe in your ability to succeed, but be rational with your goals. As Matt Pomella (’15) advised, “We are all going through something that we struggle with, whether we understand what that is or not, and it is best to look for the things that bring us joy. We all have that one friend that just lights us up, or that will listen to anything. We all need to be there for each other to be the best we can be.”

We’re all in this together, and always remember the wise words one of your favorite anonymous seniors, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. You will get to where you need to be regardless of a test score.”