Rocky Starts: When the journey starts rough

By: Gloria Cadet

New beginnings are fun! Reading a new book, creating a new save file on a brand new video game, and of course starting a new journey! When beginning a new experience and entering a new environment, you set yourself up with a lot of expectations!

For example, this new semester. You may have expectations for exciting and engaging classes, to meet new people and expand your friend list and to indulge in opportunities for you to explore that could jumpstart your career and academics! But what happens when those expectations aren’t met? What happens when your excitement and anticipation is extinguished by a landslide of disappointments and difficulties at the very start of your new experience? With the first month of the new semester under your belt, you may be experiencing those disappointments, you may feel like you’re falling behind in your classes already, or you may find yourself feeling lonely or like nothing is going your way. Initially, you may have expected for your new journey to have smoother sailing, only for you to inevitably realize that you’ve had a rocky start.

Hi, my name is Gloria Cadet and I have been there and done that. As a senior, I know how challenging it can be to have tackled on trials and tribulations at the very beginning of something new. I think you may even know the struggles of starting something new and everything just seemingly going downhill. *cough* 2020 *cough* Literally every, academic year I was hit with a challenge that I would rather have not had to face when first dipping my toes into a brand new thing.

It’s never fun, it’s always frustrating and because of rocky starts, you may begin to have doubts about the new experience. Will I be able to pass this class? Will I make any friends? Am I great enough to achieve this great thing? Firstly, you will. Secondly, you will. And thirdly, you are! If you really think about it, rocky starts aren’t an obstacle so much as an advantage. Think about it, if you can get over this challenge at the very beginning then what could possibly stop you at the end? But the good thing is, it can really only go up from here. Your grades, your friend count, everything!

Per·se·ver·ance noun persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

As defined by the Oxford dictionary, perseverance is the persistence in doing something despite difficulties or delays in achieving success. Perseverance highlights the willingness to push forward and the unwillingness to quit! It is also connected to other positive traits such as optimism, adaptability, and determination. Overcoming challenges is a great way to test your perseverance and there’s plenty of ways to do so. If faced with a challenge, tackle it head on even if it feels too difficult to handle or that it’s out of your control. You can always take charge of what you have control over and make a disadvantageous situation advantageous! In life, you may end up feeling like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place and that's okay!

It's not about how you start but how you finish. - Michael Phelps

Consider this. I'm sure you've heard of the phrase it's not about how you start but how you finish. You may not know this but this very recognizable quote was said by the world famous, gold-medal winning, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps! Not to make this a history lesson or anything, but Michael Phelps said this famous quote after winning 4 gold medals during the 2009 World Aquatics Championships! But get this, Phelps had a rocky start of his own despite such an amazing feat! Just before winning those gold medals, he won a silver medal.

You might be thinking: “Okay, big whoop. He got a silver medal. How is that the same as me failing my first exam?” And to that I say, you’re right! It is a pretty, big whoop. Because, imagine training years for this very moment, just to get a single, silver medal. And to us unathletic folks, getting a silver medal may seem like a big accomplishment but to Phelps, that was a rough start. But he didn’t give up and because he didn’t give up, he scored three shiny, gold medals!

So, that being said, no matter if you earn a dull, silver medal, eventually you’ll win those shiny, gold ones! You’ll ace those tests, party hearty with friends (within reason), and succeed in areas and experiences you would never believe that you could accomplish.