High school was difficult for me. I could never get my assignments done on time and had too many due dates for too many subjects that I had little to no interest in. All of this horribly overwhelmed my poor gremlin brain. So, it should be no surprise that I expected college to be the same way.
To my own surprise, I’ve actually been doing pretty well. While it hasn’t been easy, I’m doing far better than the smooth brained version from high school ever thought possible and I feel that’s how it should be. I don’t think that university should exactly be easy.
Much like any other muscle, a brain needs a little pushback to develop, to get stronger and to get better. Students come to Colorado Mesa University (CMU) to develop the skills required in majors and if there is no challenge, no figurative added weight to strengthen our abilities, then what is even the point of going to class?
If you don’t work those muscles, eventually they will atrophy and become weak. In order to build that strength, to further develop those skills, challenge is a necessary part of that journey.
I love a challenge. I love complex projects. I love taking the time to perfect my craft and improve the skills that I didn’t even know I had. Above all, I love watching myself grow, overcoming adversity and evolving into someone that little me would be proud of.
I fully believe that part of the reason that these developments have been so drastic for me is due to the challenging nature that can come with university.
It’s a different kind of pride that grows within when you’ve just finished a project that you poured your heart and soul into, a project that forced you to think outside of the box to complete. Like, look at this thing that caused me to rip my hair out and stressed me out to no end, it nearly gave me a heart attack and it was tricky as hell to get done, but it’s finally finished and it’s beautiful! In my opinion, these milestones in education are so much more fulfilling when they’re challenging.
These challenges don’t even have to be school work related, it could be the challenges of living on your own for the first time, challenges with interpersonal relations or even challenges in regards to learning how to self motivate yourself to get things done. Overcoming the various challenges of university is a sign of personal growth and strength, a sign of maturing and a sign that we are transitioning into the next phase of our lives.
Challenge is not a bad thing. Challenge teaches us that we have the ability to overcome any adversity, to be strong young adults in a world full of uncertainty. That’s why the university experience shouldn’t just be sunshine, roses and frat parties. They don’t provide the necessary opposition that allows us to grow into well rounded and successful individuals.
