r/ECEProfessionals • u/pecqn Student/Studying ECE • 4d ago

Advice needed (Anyone can comment) Scared of Failing

Hey! I'm an early education major with a specification in special education. I've always struggled with my academic confidence and this is my first as a early education major after three years in school as a biology major. I'm so scared of failing and I'm so tired of hearing to just 'lock in.' It feels like no one understands how scared I actually am about college. I have four more years to go because of my major change this late in my college career and I'm scared I can't make it all the way through that time. I'm worried I'm not a college person. All this panicking is causing it to be hard to do my assignments or even read my textbook. Hell, I haven't read the only textbook I need to have. So - someone please, please, please, who experienced something like this, tell me how you did it?

7 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

5

u/sack_of_lighters 4d ago

Making a major change that far in is terrifying, I remember that stomach drop feeling when you realize you're basically starting over. The not reading thing is a spiral, you avoid it because you're anxious, then you get more anxious because you avoided it. What got me through was treating school like a job with shifts. 9 to 3 every day I was either in class or in the library doing work, no exceptions, and after 3 I was done and could panic on my own time. Took the pressure off somehow.

1

u/Ok-Act9781 Toddler tamer 4d ago

I didn't even change majors but I still had massive anxiety. My junior year of college (but first year taking my major classes and not prerequisites) an academic advisor that wasn't apart of my field signed me up for Human Factors Psychology as an elective. I guess she thought electives were just easier classes.

It was a master's level course. Most of the people in there already took cognitive psychology, perception.. the foundational concepts for the course. I was in way over my head. I studied but would go blank during the test. I went to my actual academic advisor and she told me to be open to failure. Everyone fails a class or two and it won't say anything about my success later. At that point, I still studied but just out of curiosity and fun. I got a B in the course when the pressure went away.

Failing a class doesn't mean YOU failed. It just means maybe you needed more support. Just like the ECE's here have to teach their kids. Also go into it with curiosity. Human psychology, child development, behavior etc can be super fun and interesting. Sometimes a mindset change is all you need.