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Hii mindy!!

Your posts truly inspire me sm and I wanted to ask for your advice on something if u haven't alr talked about it

I've been back at school for a while already, and I feel like I'm so behind?? I used to be one of the best students in my class and now I just feel like I've "lost it." I started a little late for personal reasons, and the learning is accelerated, so now the stuff I'm struggling with is piling up. idk what to do. I know not to equate academic success or ability to learn things quickly with self-worth, but I can't help it. I feel like I'm failing. And, honestly, I'm nervous about the things people might say to me about not being such a perfect student anymore. Do you have any tips for feeling overwhelmed or feeling behind? Or making a comeback?

(Ps I caught up with your posts and omgg you're only 18?? You are so wise and have such an inspirational blog!! :)) I was a little surprised lol)

omg hi angel!! 🤍 first off, thank you so much for the sweet words - they literally made my whole day!! and yes lol i'm 18! sometimes i feel like i'm 80 with all the overthinking i do about life 😭

okay but seriously, your ask hit me RIGHT in the feels because i've been there. like, SO been there. that whole "i used to be the smart one and now what am i??" spiral is something i think every academic girlie goes through at some point, and it's honestly one of the most isolating feelings ever.

first things first - you haven't "lost it."

i know that sounds like generic advice but hear me out!! your brain didn't just… forget how to be smart overnight. what's happening is that you're in a completely different environment with different pressures, and you started late (for valid personal reasons btw - life happens and that's OKAY).

think of it like this: if you were a really good swimmer and then suddenly had to swim in the ocean instead of a pool, you wouldn't say you "lost" your swimming ability. you'd just be adjusting to new conditions. the accelerated learning thing is like swimming against stronger currents, it doesn't mean you can't swim, it just means you need different strategies.

here's what's actually happening:

your brain is processing WAY more information than usual

you're comparing your current struggle-state to your past ease-state (which isn't fair to current you)

the late start created a mental narrative of "being behind" that's now coloring everything

you're dealing with the emotional load of this change ON TOP of the academic load

some things that have helped me when i felt academically overwhelmed:

♡ the brain dump method - literally just write down EVERYTHING you feel behind on. don't organize it, don't prioritize it yet, just get it all out of your head and onto paper. sometimes the overwhelm is worse than the actual workload.

♡ micro-wins strategy - instead of trying to "catch up" on everything at once, pick ONE small thing each day that you can complete fully. could be reviewing one chapter, doing one problem set, whatever. the goal is to rebuild that "i can do this" feeling.

♡ reframe "behind" as "different timeline" - you're not behind, you're just on a different schedule than you planned. that's literally it. your learning is still happening, just not at the pace you expected.

♡ study groups/study buddies - i know it feels vulnerable when you feel like you're not the "smart one" anymore, but honestly? most people are struggling too and just not talking about it. finding even ONE person to study with can make such a difference. it seems a bit cliche, and i'm sure you've heard of it before. but i PROMISE you, doing something to improve yourself with other people who are supportive and care about you makes such a difference, plus you'll have accountability partners and just people to vent to.

about the people-pleasing/reputation thing…

ugh this one hits different because i GET IT. when you've been "the smart one" for so long, it becomes part of your identity, and it feels like everyone's watching to see if you'll maintain that. but here's some real talk, most people are way too busy worrying about their own stuff to be analyzing your academic performance. and the ones who are? they're probably dealing with their own insecurities about not being "the smart one" anymore.

also, being the "perfect student" is honestly… kind of a trap? like yes it feels good, but it also means you never really learned how to struggle productively or bounce back from setbacks. this experience, as much as it sucks right now, is actually teaching you resilience and adaptability, skills that "perfect students" sometimes miss out on.

for the comeback energy:

okay, so instead of thinking "comeback," try thinking "evolution." you're not trying to get back to who you were, you're becoming who you NEED to be for this new challenge. old you was perfect for old circumstances. new circumstances need new you, and new you is still figuring things out, and that's completely normal!!

some comeback moves:

office hours with professors/teachers (they want to help!!)

tutoring if available

breaking big scary tasks into tiny manageable pieces

celebrating small wins (seriously, this matters)

being honest with yourself about what you actually need vs what you think you should need

and honestly? the fact that you're aware enough to reach out for advice, that you're reflecting on the difference between self-worth and academic performance, that you're thinking strategically about how to move forward, that's all evidence that you definitely haven't "lost it." you're just recalibrating.

this phase is temporary. the overwhelm is temporary. the feeling of being behind is temporary. but the resilience you're building right now? that's permanent, and it's going to serve you SO well in life!

you've got this, angel. really truly. 🤍

ps - feel free to dm me anytime if you want to chat more about this!! always here for my academic girlies ✨

[🌱 08.29.2025] I'm feeling overwhelmed at the moment. There's so much to do, and I couldn't bring myself to accomplish many tasks — not even the assessment I'm doing right now, which is easy. I tried working on my bed rather than my desk this time, and it made me feel slightly better, at least.