As I write this, I’m encouraging a friend who is having difficulty just 3 weeks into her school year. Having never put myself through that particular wringer, I empathize with you young padawan learners. In a lovely conversation with an even lovelier person earlier this week, the idea of “student guilt” was brought to my attention. It appears that students feel just terrible when their not studying or doing homework.
The phenomenon is understandable. The pressure students are under is outstanding. Every performance graded and recorded. Competition for program spots and parental influences also play a strong part in this emotional arena. Still, I believe a few considerations may relieve some of the stress related to schooling and the educational system.
The world of today is drastically different than the world of yesterday. Allow me to emphasize that: Drastically different. More and more employers are setting aside degrees as a qualitative measurement. Hirings and job positions are being assigned to individuals who demonstrate creativity and outside-the-box thinking, traits not often found in cookie-cutter graduates.
What’s more, the wonderful world wide web is allowing more and more people to self-educate. Most applications and tools can be learned on your own, often in record time. If you’re familiar with homeschooling and the positive results shown, you’ll likely begin reevaluating the benefit of a flexible schedule.
That’s not to say that students should start emptying their lockers. The point here is to understand that school is no longer mandatory. You’re not trapped. Even if you fail completely in the education system, you can still thrive on your own.
Edial Dekker recently gave a talk at a Lift Conference. Dekker talks about the rise of the micro-entrepreneur. Individuals are finding new and interesting paths to success, and that discovery process has barely begun. The potential within our increasingly connected system is intensifying, and will certainly yield incredible new results and new avenues for profitable enterprises.
You’re probably thinking that’s all well and good for most people, but you can’t dissect a cadavre online. At least not yet. There are some fields, the most stressful fields in fact, that still require degrees and peer approval. To those doctors and lawyers, I say sure. And here, we come to the crux of the problem.
To put it plainly, most suffering students have forgotten – or worse, have never fully realized – a very basic human element required in true learning. I say true learning because regurgitation is not learning; passing an exam doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve actually learned anything. But I digress.
The basic human element, which is paramount to all endeavours, is the importance of your state of being. In other words, how you feel is a vital consideration if your aim is success. The perspective you hold of your current circumstances will determine the ease in which solutions will come about. Dr. Lawson, a psychologist at the Center for Development and Learning, puts it this way:
“Emotions are the relay stations between sensory input and thinking. When the input is interpreted positively, we are motivated to act and achieve a goal. When the input is interpreted negatively, we do not act and do not learn. Negative emotions can be the cause or the effect of problems with learning. Anxiety, depression and anger or frustration can interfere with learning and can result from problems with learning, creating a maladaptive and self-defeating pattern of behavior, which prevents learning and stunts mental/emotional growth.”
Dr. Lawson explains that your thoughts and feelings have a bi-directional relationship. Your perception or thoughts on a given circumstance will determine how well you deal with said circumstance (read: a problem is as big and as overwhelming as you perceive it to be.)
Ruby Nadler and her colleagues at the University of Western Ontario carried out a study that demonstrated a link between your mood and your ability to think creatively. When asked about why people watch funny Youtube videos at work, she had this to say:
“I think people are unconsciously trying to put themselves in a positive mood”—so that apparent time-wasting may actually be good news for employers.”
So what does this mean for student guilt? What can be done? Well, that can vary. Nadler believes that music is a very effective method for changing your mood. It was the method used in her research. It would appear, however, that anything that puts you into a better feeling place will be off benefit to your studies. Discover the leverage of a positive mood. Realize that your circumstances aren’t bringing you down, your perspective is. Then, do everything – anything – you can to improve your mood before you turn your attention to schoolwork. In so doing, you’ll find the energy, the motivation and the creativity necessary to joyfully succeed.
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