“Doubt can only be removed by action.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
As students come to the end of their final semester the one thing that accompanies them is doubt. It is a lingering feeling that builds up throughout the year and it is most prominent when the student is on the verge of graduating and moving on into the world. Uncertainties regarding what they are going to do are all-encompassing. Many students doubt the choices they made in college and whether those choices were the right ones to follow through or is it too late to change now. There is a lack of confidence among students who feel overwhelmed in the face of this uncertainty. As stated, when the students are on the verge of graduating, they feel that the next decision they make is extremely important because it determines the trajectory for the rest of their lives. For many students, parental pressure, lack of support, financial limitations, lack of future prospects or poor mental and physical health can inflate the doubts.
But students can take comfort in knowing that they can overcome these doubts. The root cause of any doubt is the oscillation between the questioning of one’s present situation and the unknown that lies ahead. Many times students begin to over-identify with their doubts. They begin to think that the uncertainty, the lack of confidence, the excessive questioning is just who they are – they begin to have a ‘we are whatever our thoughts say we are’ mentality, which in reality is completely false, but in students’ head it can be extremely stressful, demotivating and uncontrollable to the point of helplessness and depression. The way to get through these doubts is by acting on them, working towards a path, away from the doubts and following the path of action.
First and foremost it is extremely important to practise self-compassion in such times. Students need to remind themselves of how far they have come and everything they have experienced to get to this point. It is important to remember your achievements, hard work and persistence. Students should practise giving themselves the support that they feel is lacking from other sources. Journaling is a very powerful yet overlooked tool in these cases. The practice of writing down your achievements, pleasant experiences and successful gains can act as a mirror to boost one’s self-confidence, and slowly do away with the doubts.
Secondly, setting goals for oneself can help bring clarity in the face of uncertainty. Specific goals with a time frame help one focus and create an environment where doubts cannot thrive. Students must remind themselves that there is nothing like ‘the bigger the goal the better it is’. Each student’s goal is uniquely tapping into their potential. It may relate to making a list of jobs to interview for or working towards getting a job within a specified time frame. Setting small goals, with shorter time frames provide stability, certainty, comfort and focus which can turn small steps into leaps as a student graduates.
Lastly, the act of comparison is a dominant source of doubt which the student must do away with. Unfortunately, students are not new to the idea of being compared with each other. The education system is filled with occasions for comparisons. While some students may have a clearer path for either acquiring a job or furthering their education with a master’s degree, others may still be struggling and feeling left behind. Students must remind themselves that each one is working towards a different career. While some careers provide a structured path, such as management, accounting, engineering, other careers such as the arts and humanities have unconventional paths. Each path requires a different way of thinking, different opportunities and unique experiences under different circumstances. Hence, the comparison provides a distorted reality. Reminding oneself of what one wants to do and working through the points of differences between the excessive comparison, can help bring in a sense of self-belief and control.
While the above points provide a student with ways to help themselves, it is extremely vital to also create a supportive network of people. Graduating students may often feel that they are completely alone as they make important decisions regarding their future. Talking to people in your fields of interest, voicing your doubts to friends and family members or even seeking professional help from a counsellor for guidance and mental wellbeing, can build the pillars of confidence, motivation and trust in oneself and one’s choices.
Van Gogh is reported to have said, “If you hear a voice within you say ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
Feeling a sense of doubt and uncertainty for a student is a part and parcel of this experience. But for all the students who may have a voice in their head growing the seed of doubt, remember to stay on course, follow the path you have wanted to follow and gradually the voice will be silenced.
– Urveez Kakalia and Ferangiz Hozdar.