- December 15, 2011
- 8:48 pm
- Rebecca Lowery
- no comments
I Think I Can, I Think I Can…
By this point in my educational career I’ve basically gotten the hang of school, but there’s one thing that always seems to hold me up. This phenomenon could be referred to as the “end of semester slow-down”. Inevitably the last two weeks of the semester are the most difficult. The end of first semester brings the prospect of holiday parties and family gatherings while the end of second semester has us thinking about sun, fun, and a general lack of responsibilities that usually accompany the school year. I always struggle with “losing steam” at the end of the semester as motivation dwindles and break gets closer and closer. Unfortunately, the last two weeks are often the two that matter most. Papers are due and final exams are almost always a given. So how do we keep ourselves in check? I think the classic children’s story “The Little Engine That Could” can be a great inspiration and has a lesson that’s applicable to people of all ages. In the story, the little engine encounters a very steep hill that is seemingly impossible for him to climb. Miraculously, he accomplishes the task while repeating the mantra “I think I can, I think I can…” over and over again. I’ve always thought of this story in times of difficulty because I think it sends a great message of self-motivation and internal drive. We all need to be reminded sometimes that we have the ability inside of us to accomplish even the most impossible tasks. I can’t think of a better time to be reminded of this than finals week. So remember that, even though you might have a mound of homework ahead of you or a huge exam that you’re sure you won’t get an A on, you have the ability inside of you to accomplish it all. You just have to remember that you can do anything you set your mind to.
