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\r\n\r\nUniversity is a challenging environment, especially with all the studying, Netflix-ing, and finding time to sleep. At times, I find myself so lost in all the chaos of life, trying to learn about 5 things at a time, that I feel like I\u2019m not good at any of them. I forget all the strengths I already possess. We all do. Sure, I can buy all the planners and journals to give myself the illusion of organization and productivity but where does that really take me? Sometimes I feel like I spend more time organizing myself than actually doing the work. I\u2019m starting to feel like my obsessive organizing is more of a weakness than a strength.\u00a0One part of finding, building, and exploring your skills is knowing your weaknesses. And then throwing them away.\r\n\r\nThe first thing I\u2019d like to say, that is never said enough, is that we have<\/em> to stop comparing ourselves with others. Someone you might be intimidated by, envious of, or even inspired by, may not have qualities that come naturally to you. You\u2019ve heard about the whole facing your fears thing, right? Why not do the same here and just go up and talk to them. Figure out how they do what they do. I\u2019m guilty of doing this throughout university whenever I meet people. Everyone has their strengths. Focusing on those gives you a sense of confidence, content, and makes you feel more grounded when moving forward with your life \u2013 be it academics, personal, or career.\r\n\r\nSo, wait, what are these strengths I speak of? That\u2019s something you can easily figure out on your own if you haven\u2019t already got a good sense of it. If that doesn\u2019t help then try asking your family, friends, councillors, mentors, or even online tests (yes, I\u2019m serious). Keep in mind that strengths aren\u2019t restricted to being able to write papers well, solve math problems easily, or be a good public speaker. These can also be simple skills, qualities, and personality traits: listening, retaining information, humor, honesty, problem solving, stamina, Instagram aesthetics, skim-reading, binge-watching, pulling all-nighters \u2013 whatever it is! You can always find a way to improve and incorporate them into your undergraduate career \u2013 and eventually the rest of your life. One way to do that is by surrounding yourself with a good support system who push you to be the best at being you. Partner up with others who have complimentary skills to yours. If you happen to encounter haters and setbacks, use it as motivation. One of the biggest factors that pushed me to do better, look better, and therefore feel <\/em>better about myself was actually people who didn\u2019t think I could and grades I didn\u2019t quite like.\r\n\r\nAs I mentioned earlier, I waste a lot of time and pretend like I don\u2019t because of my calendars and checklists. For some time, what I wanted to figure out was how much better my life would be if I spent less time organizing things and more time just jumping into the task at hand. I know now that without all my \u2018fake work\u2019, I would not be able to accomplish everything else. My brain simply needs that order and time management laid out in front of me and not everyone else is the same. And that\u2019s okay. Knowing this is something I can\u2019t change also helps me narrow down what kind of career path I\u2019d want to pursue and what role I\u2019d be best at in teams and so on.\r\n\r\nLearning is the constant in our lives.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"