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April 16, 2019

Tips to Persevere & Finish Strong

“Keep your eye on the prize and never give up.” Are you someone who does that? Do you persist? Perseverance is defined, in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, as the “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure or opposition”. As a college student, this is a quality you need in spades to make it to the end of the semester and, ultimately, to your main goal, the graduation stage. This time of year can be exhausting, demanding and filled with pressure in your classes. Not to mention oftentimes stressful trying to figure out where you will be working or what you will be doing this summer. Especially at this time of the year, final coursework and other responsibilities can mount.

Here are a few tips to persevere and finish the semester strong:

Develop a Growth Mindset:
Research shows that talent and intelligence can be developed and grown through hard work and effort and that it is not fixed throughout one’s lifetime. Remembering this when faced with challenges can help you persevere, when you realize it will eventually pay off, and you will have matured into a stronger person. Albert Einstein said: “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Perseverance is like a series of many short sessions of hard work; one after the other.

Participate in Positive Self-Talk:
Many of us talk to ourselves in a more harsh or unkind way than we ever would to a friend. Try and speak to yourself as a kind friend, encouraging yourself to keep going and that you can make it through any challenge.  Let hope be your encouragement. Never say “I can’t” instead say “I’ll try.” Be determined, lean on your faith and strive for successful outcomes. Remember, you’ve made it through 100% of your toughest days so far!  

Add “Yet” to Your Statements:
I recently watched a Ted Talk that discussed this concept of adding the word “yet” to the end of your statements to help yourself see that you are always growing and that you can achieve your goals. A few examples would be saying, “I haven’t finished this, yet!” or “I don’t understand how to solve this problem, yet!”. So simple, yet so profound!

Click here for the "Power of Yet" Ted Talk

Reach Out for Help:
I recently had a student say to me, with surprise and gratitude, that they never knew how many resources were available to help them on the Roberts campus. There are departments dedicated to helping you with any challenge you may be facing here at Roberts such as The Learning Center, Student Development, Financial Aid, Office of Student Success and the Counseling Center, just to name a few. Faculty and staff are everywhere, ready and willing to talk and help you work through any problem you are facing. When in doubt, reach out.

Someday you’re going to look back on all your college achievements and be glad you didn’t quit. If you have a problem you are facing, The Office of Student Success is a great place to start. To contact The Office of Student Success simply e-mail arrendell_tabitha@roberts.edu.

It’s that time of year to finish whatever you started. It is important to learn, work hard, study and make sacrifices – remember to show up and never give up!


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