How can I feel less ordinary in such an extraordinary place? Look — I’m just going to come out and say it straight. Sometimes, (all the time) it is hardfor me to feel like I am qualified enough to be at such aprestigious university surrounded bythousands of the world’s most exceptional people. Every time that I think I’m starting to do life semi-correctly, one of my friends or peersdoes something insane. This applies to all aspects of life here too. It's like you can never catch abreak. Oh, I got a 92 on my exam? My roommate got a 100 in this class as a freshman!I’m a varsity athlete at a Division I school? My teammates were just in the Olympics!I learned to play piano? Dude next to me in class wrote a symphony when he was 15! So even if I can get past the fact all the people I surround myself with are either Olympic athletes, super geniuses, the Beethovens of our generation, entering the NFL draft,supermodels, verified on Instagram, profiting off of their own start up or already have a careerlined up post graduation, what does that mean for me? And before we move on, do not even get me started on LinkedIn. Every time I openthat app I’m reminded of just how behind I seem to be in planning the rest of my life. How am Isupposed to feel like I’m doing alright for myself when every person here has had a salariedinternship for this summer figured out and a job secured in their dream city since freshman yearsummer. There was a point in my life where, when my alarm would go off in the morning, I wouldimmediately check LinkedIn to make me feel just bad enough about myself and my lack ofpersonal accomplishment that I would be more motivated to get up and go to my 8 a.m. And letme tell you, if you’re looking for some sort of morning motivation, that one works every. single.time.Anyways, there’s truly something to be said about how you become who you surroundyourself with. Being a part of this University has opened my eyes to opportunities I didn't evenknow existed. Being immersed in so many different types of greatness is something that I willnever take for granted. No matter how grateful I am, it is still so #$@!%&* difficult. I’m not saying it’s “oh this sucks” difficult either. I’m saying it feels like I am not evennearly qualified enough to be a member of this community. It feels like I do not belong here nomatter how hard I try. It feels like I shouldn’t even be allowed to attend this University. It feels likeI am just taking up the space of someone else who could be doing much better in my exactsame position. It feels like I’m letting down everyone around me. No matter how much time I putin or how many flashcards I make, I might never get a 100. No matter how many times I give myall at practice, I’m never going to the Olympics. No matter how many hobbies and talents I try toacquire, I’m not winning America’s Got Talent. It took me a long while to realize that the reality is this: somebody else’s beauty does notimply the lack of mine. Beauty can be replaced in this sentence with success, intelligence, etc.Doesn’t matter. The point is that you can be surrounded by greatness and be just as great.Comparison is the thief of happiness and pride.Iknow that you have all probably heard that before, and it takes some serious selfreflection to start believing it for yourself, but it’s so true. You are here in the tri-campus of theUniversity of Notre Dame and you worked your a** off to get here. Be proud of yourself! You’realready doing something right, and just because your peers are also doing amazing thingsdoesn’t mean you’re doing everything wrong. You’re going to be fine. You are already here. You do belong here. You are just asqualified as everyone else. Just keep trying your best. You are smart, creative, inspiring,talented and thoughtful. You don’t have to have your whole entire life figured out right now. Youdon’t have to be a captain or a president or a dean’s list member to validate your worth. Stopcomparing yourself to people who also don’t have everything figured out. I promise you thateven all of these extraordinary people are struggling too. Stop categorizing yourself as ordinary,you owe yourself so much more than that.
Olivia Fabry
junior
Feb. 24
