We need a reality check, something to wake us up from this dreadful slump. For those of you who are still with us, we’re in the midst of the spring semester, and our collective motivation level is plummeting.

So often we get lost within our heads, dreaming about a future we desperately desire. We want incredible internships, amazing opportunities, and worthwhile jobs. We want experience, decent pay, along with excitement, and fulfillment. We want to achieve our dreams, but something is always standing in the way.

We hinder ourselves, limiting our potential due to our fears, our inexperience, and our inability to change. At some point, we fall adrift within a maze of our own mind, losing sight of what’s important. Somehow progress is lost, and we end up moving backward.

Looking around, classmates are shrugging their shoulders, muttering, “I don’t care,” putting in little effort, or none at all. Typically, this mentality doesn’t show up until the last few weeks of class, but unlike springtime, it came early this year.

It was a long month off, and some of us are coming back to the present slowly. The laziness we relished in is no longer welcome and it’s time to get going. Some of us have lost sight of the finish line and need a little help to get back on track.

This is your unkind reality check. Wake up. Stop hurting yourself, and get involved. You’re the only one that can help yourself; you’re the only one that has control over your future.

Granted, the weather is atrocious, and tired eyes don’t want to stay open for an early class. Nearly everyone is running on little sleep, with part-time jobs, work-studies, and prior obligations. Being a student is difficult, and sometimes you must ask yourself, is it worth it?

If the answer is “no,” then you are paying one hefty bill for a waste of time. If the answer is “yes,” (as it should be) then give yourself a mental shake and remind yourself of why you’re doing this.

Everyone has a different reason to attend college, but the results should all be the same. We all seek a better future which involves a career we’re passionate about.

All the money spent, lack of sleep, and lost sanity, are small prices to pay for the bigger picture. College is an investment in your future, one that will pay off if you

see it through. It’s a stock that requires cultivation; putting in minimal effort will result in a minimal product.

Counselor and life coach Dwight Bain argues that we ruin ourselves because we’re afraid to get what we want. We fear success because we’re constantly in pursuit of it, and we don’t quite know what to do when we achieve it. It is better to be where you’re at now, to willingly give up, then to try, and fail miserably.

How can you possibly achieve something if you don’t try? How can you succeed when you set yourself up to fail?

We are here, improving our education, expanding our knowledge, and gaining some sense of direction, yet it’s being wasted. Stop saying, “I should do that,” and just do it. Stop telling yourself that you’re not ready, or that you’ll do it tomorrow, because odds are, you said that yesterday.

Let’s stand up, brush the snow off our coats, and crack down. As a wise Goonie once said, “This is our time,” so let’s make the most of it.

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