The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.
I recently started a new stage of my education where I am out working in my prospective field of study. I was so excited to get out and start learning and be able to get away from my computer screen.
And although I felt prepared and excited to learn, the overwhelming pressure soon hit me hard. I was suddenly surrounded by others that were just as smart as me and a lot of the times even smarter than me. This was extremely humbling because even though I am not the smartest person in the room, I still work hard to prove myself. I quickly got caught up in the environment and suddenly felt unimportant and unnecessary. It was hard for me to want to go to work everyday without feeling like I was useless.
This was an extremely hard transition for me because it was about how I was coping with the situation and not about how others were treating me. I finally had to step back and realize that things have changed and I was supposed to be changing with that situation. This opportunity is going to force me to grow and be uncomfortable and that’s okay! If we are constantly comfortable in our situation, are we really learning?
I take this advice for myself everyday when now going out on new challenges and adventures. I am working hard everyday to prove to myself and my peers that I am capable of being just as great as I see them!
Have you ever noticed your child putting themselves down or comparing themselves to others? What advice would you give your child about succeeding in something that they care about?