As my summer of platform flip-flops on Lake Mendota, Simon & Garfunkel blasting in my ears on a BCycle and laying out with my numerous novels in hand fly away with the fast wind of fall coming in, I remind myself of something to keep in mind as the time of the parka rolls around the corner: confidence. Clearly, that time is moving real fast as the weather gave us a little jump scare and the jean shorts turned to jeans in the span of a week… so I plan to make this quick.
First thing first… do not let the confidence of “Hot Girl Summer” blow away with this isthmus wind. Although this phrase is beyond overused, extracting the idea of confidence from this truly has an impact on day-to-day life. A little side note: this goes for everyone. Everyone, no matter what gender or age, feels insecure at times. We can all use a bit of confidence.
Whether you did absolutely nothing this summer or had a fantastic job or internship, do not let it alter your perception of the fall. As someone who finds herself at a non-stop pace, consistently picking up responsibilities left and right, I burnt out real quick.
I lost a lot of confidence last semester both mentally and physically. I learned how important it was to step back, breathe for a minute and take time for myself. It is easier to do this during the summer as fewer responsibilities are at play. However, as fall midterms emerge, and honestly come faster than the wind, staying confident is crucial for success.
Take the little things you thrive at and use them as an engine to boost confidence. If you have a particular moment within a study routine that has been successful in the past, push for that and allow it to help increase confidence in other parts that seem weaker. But hey, if that does not work (which even I do not have 100% confidence that it does) I always like to zoom out. If receiving a bad grade feels like the worst thing in the world — zoom out. Take a second to realize just how small that one, little grade on an exam is compared to the rest of your life.
Zoom out from that one class to look at the four or five other classes you have. Zoom out to acknowledge that it is one semester, out of a year, out of four years and out of your entire life. If a class is not your strength, accept that fact and use it to inspire interest in something else you are more confident in.
As we live in a time of social media and constant comparison to others, many struggle with insecurities, fear of missing out (FOMO) and a major lack of confidence. As someone who used to struggle with this often, I have developed one rule: confidence is key. Point blank period.
If you are insecure about yourself, you are not going to want to put yourself out there and engage in conversation. You cannot rely on anyone else to boost confidence besides yourself. Not only does it boost your own confidence knowing people listen to you, but it will probably boost theirs as well. If one night does not work out then zoom out. There are so many more nights to come.
Don’t let the changing of seasons change how you see yourself. Keep up that confidence and let the fall breeze carry you into the new year.
