On October 24, I attended an open discussion led by Ryan Lombardi about mental health and Cornell’s culture of competitiveness and rigor. The topic was very relevant, and I could relate to everything that was mentioned by other students during the discussion. Students at Cornell are incredibly driven professionally and academically, and many feel this external pressure to constantly excel. They believe that they are locked in a never-ending competition with each other because there are only a finite number of jobs. I also find myself getting caught in this trap. Moderate levels of competition within a campus are valuable only if it is sustainable and nudges students to be the best versions of themselves possible. But competition can be very crippling, shoving people too far beyond their physical limits and creating a toxic environment. A thin line separates this distinction.
As Mr. Lombardi explained, many students no longer view higher education as a way of improving and contributing to society in its entirety. Rather, they use college as a way to better themselves with an individualistic mindset; it serves as a springboard to get professional development and follow a particular career path. College today is entirely different from what it was only a few decades ago. Older generations may perhaps disagree, but stress levels are continuously pushing boundaries and reaching new highs.
All things considered, it was satisfying and reassuring to hear the stories and opinions of my peers, because I recognized that I was not alone in feeling this unhealthy pressure. I found that venting negative feelings to other people willing to listen or experiencing similar things is an effective way of releasing stress. I understand that I have friends, peers, and other resources I can go to if I feel overwhelmed and want to express my thoughts verbally.
You’re absolutely right. College was not as stressful before as it is now. Kids are much smarter now than they were before, which intensifies the competition and expectations. I feel that sometimes colleges forget that they’re dealing with 18,19, and 20 year old kids who have no idea what they want out of life and yet have so much demanded from them. Cornell Health is a great resource to turn to in times of high stress due to the rigorous environment.
Hi!
I agree that college has definitely become much more harder for students because they are balancing so much- coursework, career, enrichment/extracurricular activities, and jobs. On top of that, we are striving to maintain good friendships and find our true selves and become better people. There is definitely a lot expected of us and I think it is important to realize that we are humans and worth so much more than a letter grade. It’s sad that we always forget about this and focus on changing the world, but always remember to take care of yourself.
So true.
It is so easy to focus on all of these “next steps” when in reality, its the step in front of you that matters the most. Life is so short, and I find it difficult to center myself and avoid the toxicity of the stressful whirlwind of school. Appreciating the small things really help me realign my heart and my mind!
This conversation sounds extremely relevant and it is refreshing to hear that the somewhat unspoken topic was brought out. I completely agree with your reflection on the changes in college culture from our parents’ time to now. I am wondering if the group discussed an solutions or actions that can be taken to combat the impact the competitive climate has?
I never really acknowledged it until you mentioned it in this post, but people really do look at college individualistically. I’m a business major, so my entire academic experienced is aimed both by students and staff at ending my 4 years with a good career. I didn’t notice that that’s a symptom is this individualistic thinking. But it definitely exists and I think it’s the root cause of a lot of culture problems that my school experiences.