Never Give Up

By Dr. Lisa M. Wiśniewski 

There are going to be times in college and career that are difficult. Never give up. 

I wish I could write that going to college will be easy and filled with zero problems. This is simply not true. Enrolling in college does not put a pause button on your life. Throughout your college journey there will be personal matters that arise. This can be financial issues, health concerns, lack for support from family or friends, or difficulty navigating work. Then add the layers of navigating college, coursework, and gaining experience towards your career goals. It can be overwhelming. There are many opportunities to give up. 

I am asking you not to give up when times get difficult. 

It is easy to want to give up. It may feel like the right thing to do when facing personal and professional difficulties. However, for your long-term goals it may be the worst choice. There are many lessons and skills that can be learned by navigating through difficult times and continuing towards your goals. Some examples of this can include learning to resolve conflict, repairing relationships, setting boundaries, learning how to ask for help, and getting clear on your goals. These are all important for personal and professional growth. These skills can help you to even exceed your own career goals. 

It also does not mean that you must navigate difficult times on our own. There are resources and supports that can help you to manage these times. I wanted to share a few of the ones that have helped me when my college journey and professional growth were difficult. There were many times where I was ready to quit, thought that I was not good enough, or have no idea how I would make it through a challenging time in my life. These are the key strategies that helped me to overcome and grow in my career: 

1. Find a team: in my career I have worked on many teams. I like a collaborative approach, and I always feel this makes projects better. With some team members, our relationships have developed into friendships. These friendships are what I consider my personal team. They are the people I turn to when I am having a challenging day, when I need advice on next steps, and when I need to have difficult conversations. I run things by them first. It helps me to get my emotions out so that I can handle difficult situations in a professional way. 

2. Talk about what is going on: do not keep things inside. It is important to talk about what is going on. Talk to a trusted person and examine how you feel about what is happening. It will help you to get clarity on the issue, develop an understanding of what is happening, and help to make a plan of action for next steps. This will also help to emotionally process what is going on which will be beneficial to continue to move forward in your college and career development. The last thing anyone wants is to be stuck in a problem or negative situation. 

3. Examine resources: explore the resources that are available to you. There are likely plenty of resources that are available to help you with the issue that you are experiencing but you may not be aware. Talk to individuals who have had a similar experience and find out what helped them. Then explore these options and see if this would be of help to you. 

I hope these strategies are helpful. Please do not ever give up. The world needs what you can offer. I am always here to help whenever you need it 