It’s that time of the semester.
I know the patterns. The frantic attempts to catch up on an entire semester in two weeks. The requests for extra credit. The sudden interest in office hours. I know this because I’m an instructor. But I also know it because it was me.
Failure and I are well acquainted. I submitted five transcripts with my grad school application because I had failed many times over. I’ll spare you the reasons. All that really matters is that I did not make it. Many times.
But I remember doing the dance of asking for extensions, makeup tests, opportunities to make up work that was months overdue. Asking for incomplete grades that would never be resolved. Eighteen credit semesters that earned no credits at all. But I now have a master’s degree with memberships to two honor societies. And I must like it here, because I came back to teach.
It’s okay if right now isn’t your time. Delete that email to your professor and go see your advisor. Visit the counseling center if you need to. There are community support groups for substance use. Take the time to be with your sick family member. Work the hours at your job that you need to pay your rent. The reason doesn’t matter. There’s no shame in throwing up a white flag.
It’s okay to wait until you are ready. This might not be your time. But that doesn’t mean it won’t come. It did for me.
I’m Nia Norris and this is my perspective.
