think of it this way

i attend one of the top public universities in the nation. i’m a third-year transfer, which in my case means i attended a community college for two years to fulfill the majority of lower division requirements before i even started my classes at the university i’m at now. i’ll be honest: the path wasn’t that difficult for me.

i’ve always been smart. i don’t really know how to study (other than making and reviewing flashcards and taking outlined notes during class) and only had one F and one C on my entire transcript. even then, i retook the precalculus class i failed and replaced the grade with an A and the other class was trigonometry so it didn’t apply to my major or acceptance anyway. i can write academic papers ranging from three to seven pages in one night, including the brainstorming and writing process itself. i rarely revise my papers (even though i probably should since it wouldn’t hurt) because the writing that flows out of my hands is naturally above average. and i know it.

then i got to big kid school. the workload doubled and the complexity level tripled. the expectations are reachable but for the first time in my life, i really have to focus, work hard, and reach to meet those expectations. that’s the point of going to such a reputable school: challenge the smart kids to separate the brilliant from the thinkers from the weak from the self-motivated. it’s not a silly system, and it works.

my problem is that i’ve never had to really work hard to get As and now i do. i’ve expected excellence of myself and produced excellence just by completing my assignments and outputting my insights about literature or concepts onto paper. all i had to do was be myself and i got As. simple.

but now i’m here and i’m not as golden as i was at high school or community college. i’m a gem in a mine full of other gemstones. yes, i am valuable but there are elements much more extraordinary and brilliant than i am. how am i supposed to stand out or feel special again? i have to try to make myself look good. but how am i supposed to do that while also seeking the quintessential “college experience,” while also keeping my eye out for romance, while also making “friendships that will last a lifetime,” while also “getting involved” on campus, while also working out to keep my body in shape, while also completing my school work to get the grades i want.

i want it all. i don’t want to compromise because my time in this amazing place called college is limited–two years to be exact–and there’s no way i’m sacrificing anymore than i already have to get here. i worked 20+ hours a week while i was enrolled full-time at community college. i went to a middle college high school that didn’t have athletics or performing arts or any other extracurriculars outside of the 12 clubs run by the students. i attend one of the top universities in the nation with a ranked PAC-12 football and basketball team, a gymnastics team roster including six Olympians, an incredible alumni body, and more school spirit than any other school in the state. i am never going to have the same amount of great opportunity surrounding me everyday as i do now, so you better bet your ass i’m going to take advantage of as much of it as i can.

but i alone can only do so much. i can only read so many pages before my eyelids droop, intake so many drinks until i become intoxicated, and stay dedicated for so many hours until i lose motivation. i’m only human. but what about supplements?

take or leave my advice, but i think it’s stupid to not at least consider supplements to enhance your time in college. the human body has limits but with a little outside help, those limits expand are you’re capable of more. so much more. you can sleep less, finish more work, see more places, talk to more people, learn more things, experience more sensations. when again will you ever be as young, carefree, intelligent, and flexible as you are now? youth is such a valuable source of life and to waste it is such a shame.

so, now… what’s really holding you back?