College At Your Own Pace

By Tori Mayes

The most common approach students take when they apply to a community college such as SUNY Niagara is to fill up their schedule, be here for two years, and then transfer their credits to move on to a four-year college. Or they fill up their schedules and just attend here for two years and that’s that. Did you know that those aren’t your only options? Did you know that you could attend classes at a pace suitable for you instead of jam-packing your schedule to the brim? This sounds like an obvious fact that we all should be aware of, but in the chaos and stress of trying to figure out what we are taking and when, it can be hard to remind ourselves that we are allowed to approach this adventure at our own comfort levels.

One of the best parts about college is us as students are given the freedom to pursue this in whatever way is best for us. We aren’t “handed” that option nearly as much because the societal norm is that people can handle the amount of work that takes. There are going to be a lot of people who read this who might think that this amount of work isn’t necessarily a lot, but you have to remember a lot of students who have chronic illnesses and can’t fill up their plate as much. People have their own personal lives, their own hurdles they have to get over, and what might be a little bit of work for some can end up being a LOT of work for someone else. The amount of effort it takes for one person to take 5 classes might be the same amount of effort someone else needs just to get out of bed.

Any approach that feels right for you is the one you should go for. College – while important in society’s eyes and definitely needed for a lot of “successful” life routes – is ultimately something we get to choose to do. So, if we get to choose, why would we choose a path that would be detrimental to our health? This school is supposed to be a fun environment that fosters learning and growth. If we push ourselves too hard, we are going to struggle a lot more and this will end up being nightmarish for ourselves.

If you feel stuck or confused about what might be the right way to go about school, talk to one of the Success Coaches at the Student Success Center. They are the front-line helpers when it comes to scheduling classes, and they – without a doubt – would be able to work with you on what might be the best route. Or alternatively, you could talk to one of the counselors that work at the Wellness/Counseling Center first to try to get some outside perspective before setting anything in stone with the Success Coach. No matter what lies ahead on your journey, your stance is valid. Keep working hard and learning to the best of your ability.