The Summer I Turned Gritty

After the chaos and closure every winter semester brings, all I wanted was a tan and more time. Then, life happened. 

But is this not what I wanted? I ask myself: I am working the internship that I worked so hard to prepare for during midterm season, I am spending quality time with my family, I have all the time to mentally rest and recover for another rigorous academic year; What more could one need?

As true as that all may be, it is equally true and important to recognize that all of the good can come with working long hours, taking care of family, dealing with unexpected challenges, or simply navigating a stretch of emotional exhaustion. 

The truth is, a hard summer doesn’t make you less prepared. In fact, it might have given you more than you realize: resilience, perspective, and a deeper understanding of yourself. 

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While others may have had vacations or downtime, your experience taught you how to manage pressure, prioritize what matters, and push through when things get tough. These are life skills that can only be taught through lived experience. You have already shown yourself to be capable of doing hard things—even if you do not feel like it right now. 

As I aim to plant my feet more firmly in self-belief, these simple phrases have empowered me through a summer that has otherwise questioned my sense of power and grit:

"I am not behind."

If you are returning to university this fall feeling drained rather than recharged, you are not alone, nor are you behind. The feeling of being “behind” is a line that you draw based on biases and prior experiences.

For all of our previous life in academia, everyone has been on the same path – we do our classes, we pass, we move on together. However we, as university students, are at the beautiful intersection of discovering who we are and who we are destined to be – and the timeline in which we exist at that crossroad varies from person to person, with no linear or clear direction. In other words, where you are is right where you should be.

"I am continuing to learn."

Instead of feeling defeated by what the summer was not, reframing your experiences is the best exercise one can do to power through the new year.

The experiences we have were never and will never be in our control, but our reactions to them and the way we move forward from them is. Yes, things did not always go your way, but what did you learn about your limits or your values? Did you discover inner strength, or identify habits you want to change?  

"I am growing up."

Growth often comes quietly, and it doesn’t require ideal conditions. As you step into the new semester, remind yourself that empowerment is not just about having control—it is about holding space to learn from and reflect on what you have been through. Take that experience and let it sharpen your goals, inform your boundaries, and deepen your empathy for others.

This shift is also offering you permission to start fresh, and it is now your job to accept it. You deserve rest, joy, and success moving forward, and you have to make that active decision to feel as such every single day. 

Your newest assignment? Make space this semester for small routines that nourish you, whether that’s a weekly walk, journaling, or simply saying “no” when your plate is full. That is what growth looks like.

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A challenging summer does not define your year ahead. What matters now is how you show up for yourself—and how you let your story shape your strength. You have already done something hard, and you are more ready for this semester than you think. 

Sure, this was the summer some turned pretty, but you will always remember the summer you turned gritty.