Several students around campus have mentioned that they feel college has been getting the best of them. Although we’re only a little more than a month in, there’s a lot of groaning and tears associated with stress and pressure.

“I just don’t feel motivated to do much,” comments one student. “It feels like I just want to give up on everything,” others say. “I’ve just become a lot more apathetic. I still care about school, but I’m just not as goal oriented as I was last semester.”

Is it just me or is the lack of motivation an epidemic on campus?  Not really. I do believe a lot of students are struggling to find motivation because we’ve forgotten why we’re in school. It’s easy to get bogged down by school work and even harder to manage stress with jobs, research and maintaining a social life. I mean, we don’t have it easy – at all.

Professors don’t take excuses very lightly. We’re grown adults – we know our responsibilities and know what’s expected of us. We don’t need our parents’ input when we make a bad grade or two on assignments.  However, college professors are aware of the difficulties we students face, and they want to help.

I once had a professor tell me that he felt as though his students were not utilizing his time. We have to remember that professors get paid to help us learn – they’re not mean, cranky individuals who want us to fail. They’re professors because they chose that profession. They, like us, have certain responsibilities that tie into their role.

Yes, being a student is hard, but it doesn’t have to be. What many of us don’t realize is that we have many vital resources available to help us succeed.

The tutoring center, for one, may be an underutilized resource by many of us. The writing center doesn’t lag far behind. Use these resources because a lot of universities don’t have them for free. Francis Marion University students are at an advantage, and many of us don’t realize that. It may seem appealing to think we can do everything on our own, but sometimes a little help isn’t a bad thing.

If you’re feeling stuck, talk to your professors. Email them, call them and go to their office during office hours. Most professors are glad when students come in and ask for help. If you’re struggling with something – whether it’s something as small as time-management or something big like finding effective study strategies – your professors may be able to offer advice.