Prepare to enter the storm

Alright, it’s almost October. For us UIT students, practice sessions are over. This marks another period of stress and deadlines.

Earlier this year, I witnessed two suicides, both around our age, and heard about others throughout the school year. What haunts me isn’t just those two events, but the realization that college pressure is often more subtle than it appears. It doesn’t arrive in a single day, but builds up from grades, comparisons, and feelings of disconnection. So, today, I feel compelled to write this article to remind myself and mentally prepare for the stormy new semester and the transition into professional life later at work.

A ship cannot sink no matter how rough the sea gets; she can only sink when she allows the seawater to flood her compartments and drag her down into the deep, dark sea!

Back in high school, in my ‘village well’ environment, I arrogantly assumed I was the best in computer science (my ego was quite inflated back then). But upon ‘swimming to the big sea’ of college, where many elites from other regions converged, I suddenly found myself struggling. Things I thought only I knew—tricks and “special” knowledge—turned out to be common knowledge here; in fact, many knew even more. I realized each person possesses a unique strength, something interesting I could learn from them.

Not to mention the shock from changing environments and study schedules. In college, without the deterrence of high school teachers or parents constantly pushing us to study, I felt the pressure was even greater! When everyone in the classroom is silently studying, teachers won’t remind you if you don’t do assignments or miss classes. But that silence is particularly deceptive when, at the end of the semester, you receive your transcript and see your academic results.

The university environment offers freedom, yes! And it is precisely within this freedom that we become solely responsible for our actions and choices.

And of course, it’s perfectly normal to receive a lower grade than you expected.

(The correct base is 6.7; it’s called technology. Please ignore my doomed GPA.)

Yeah, well, if things are bad, get up and deal with them!

But the next challenge is truly scary: loneliness, that feeling of being lost when you can’t find your environment! Yeah. I was lucky at the beginning of the year to make good friends and maintain those relationships. But some people aren’t so fortunate. For instance, whenever I meet my old high school friends, they consistently say, “I wish I could go back to high school” :))). When asked, one friend mentioned that college friendships felt “not real” with each other. They hadn’t found a good environment, explaining that their group of friends just chatted and texted constantly, without building anything substantial. Others, even two years into their studies, still struggle with the direction they’ve chosen… That’s not to mention having a partner :))) which can easily lead to FOMO.

Well, pressure, scores, and connections. These aren’t problems unique to anyone. I’ve been in that situation myself, and sometimes, I still find myself there. But hey, I’m looking to the future. Remember, each person’s starting point, circumstances, and abilities are different. You can’t compare your 1st day to another person’s 1000th day! What weighs on us so much is not what we lack, but what we believe we must have. Yeah, pause, acknowledge it, and then move on.

Know what? You don’t have to go through this alone! If you find it too hard one day, remember, there’s always a counseling room in Building A. There are always people there who will listen and help you. Don’t be afraid to walk in and say you’re not okay.

Yeah, relax, exercise, stay active, join clubs, and socialize with people. Connect with good people, and you’ll see, they are no different from us—struggling and stuck just like that. Good or talented people, after all, are just ordinary people like you and me. What makes them different is not their starting point, but a passion strong enough to make them willing to sacrifice and persist in its pursuit. Then, over the years, silently accumulated efforts will turn into sweet fruits. When I look back at my second year, the best moments I remember are the stressful, tired nights. Because it was those nights that made me stronger, more mature, and instilled a sense of pride in myself for those student years!

And, the sailors on board kept singing, even in the storm:

Soon may the Wellerman come To bring us sugar and tea and rum One day, when the tonguin’ is done We’ll take our leave and go