As someone who used to struggle with study skills in high school, especially when preparing for AP exams, I often questioned my own abilities. Looking back, I realize that I wasn’t unintelligent I simply hadn’t yet learned how to study in a way that worked for me. At the time, however, it was easy to believe that my grades reflected my worth. That mindset and my self-esteem made me doubt whether I was capable of succeeding academically.

European Library

I was the type of student who usually did okay while in high school, but my performance often depended on how overwhelmed I felt. Before a major exam, I would spend hours stressing about what I didn’t know rather than focusing on what I had already learned. Sometimes all of that effort paid off, and I passed with a grade I was proud of. Other times, despite studying for hours, I still failed or performed below my expectations. Those moments were discouraging, but they also became part of my journey. Failure was never the end of my story—it became an opportunity to learn, grow, and discover what worked best for me.

As a neurodivergent person, I struggled not only with study skills but also with social skills at different points in my life. Throughout my teenage years, I often felt like everyone else understood things that came naturally to them while I had to work twice as hard to figure them out. Whether it was staying organized, managing my time, understanding social situations, or preparing for exams, many tasks required extra effort. For a long time, I viewed this as a weakness, but over time I realized that learning differently does not mean I deserved to learn less.

It wasn’t until I was around eighteen or nineteen years old that I really began teaching myself the skills I hadn’t fully developed earlier. I started paying attention to how I learned best instead of comparing myself to other students. I learned that everyone studies differently. Some people retain information by reading, others through writing notes, teaching concepts to someone else, watching videos, or practicing with questions. There is no universal formula for success. What matters most is finding a method that works for you rather than trying to copy someone else’s routine.

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that stress has a significant impact on education. When people think about academic stress, they often assume it only comes from homework, exams, or difficult classes. In reality, stress is much more complicated than that. A student’s home environment, financial situation, friendships, mental health, family responsibilities, and overall school environment can all influence their ability to focus and succeed. Sometimes a student is carrying burdens that no one else can see. It becomes difficult to concentrate on an assignment when your mind is occupied by challenges outside the classroom.

I wish more people understood that struggling academically does not always mean someone is lazy or doesn’t care. Sometimes students are doing everything they can just to make it through the day. They may be dealing with anxiety, depression, learning differences, financial hardship, or family issues while trying to keep up with assignments and deadlines. Showing compassion toward classmates and ourselves can make a tremendous difference.

Post Highschool and Transition to College

Over time, I also realized that effective studying isn’t about spending the most hours with a textbook open. It’s about studying intentionally. I found that breaking assignments into smaller pieces made them feel much less overwhelming. Instead of trying to memorize everything the night before an exam, I began reviewing material over several days whenever possible. Taking breaks, getting enough sleep, and giving my brain time to process information often helped more than cramming late into the night. While I still experience stress before important exams or projects, I now understand that managing stress is just as important as mastering the material itself.

College introduced a completely different academic environment. Professors expected students to take greater responsibility for their own learning, deadlines came quickly, and balancing multiple classes required stronger organization than I had experienced in high school. There were times when I questioned whether I belonged in college at all. Like many students, I experienced moments of self-doubt and uncertainty. However, every semester taught me something new—not just academically, but personally.

As I mentioned in previous chapters, my college experience has not been easy. I faced personal challenges, difficult situations, and periods where I questioned whether I had chosen the right place for myself. There were moments when I felt isolated, misunderstood, and overwhelmed by everything happening around me. Those experiences affected not only my education but also my confidence and mental well-being.

Everything began to change once I transferred schools. Transferring did not magically solve every problem, but it gave me a fresh start and a healthier environment where I could continue growing. Sometimes changing your environment can make a meaningful difference. A new campus, new classmates, and new opportunities allowed me to rebuild my confidence and focus more on my goals rather than the obstacles that had previously consumed my attention.

Looking back, I have learned that education is about much more than earning good grades. It is about developing resilience, learning how to adapt, discovering your strengths, and continuing to grow even when things become difficult. Every success and every setback has taught me something valuable. The challenges I faced with study skills, stress, and college life helped shape the person I am becoming.

If I could offer one piece of advice to students who are struggling, it would be this: don’t measure your potential by one exam, one semester, or one difficult chapter of your life. Everyone learns at a different pace, and everyone’s journey looks different. Ask for help when you need it, be patient with yourself, and remember that growth often happens gradually. You are not defined by your lowest grade or your hardest semester. What defines you is your willingness to keep learning, keep improving, and keep moving forward despite the challenges you face.

Today, I still continue learning better study habits and better ways to manage stress. Growth does not end after high school or even after college. It is a lifelong process. My journey has taught me that success is not about being perfect; it is about persistence. Every challenge I overcame strengthened my confidence, and every lesson I learned reminded me that progress is often more important than perfection.

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By Aaron Newman

Aaron Newman is an Education Studies major minoring in Digital Studies. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, he writes about relationships, entertainment and fashion. He also writes about the hardship and being optimistic about his struggles and looking forward to the present and future.

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For over 25 years, the Campus Clipper has helped college students in New York City—and later in Boston and Philadelphia—save money and succeed in city life. We offer a digital coupon booklet with discounts on food, clothing, and services, plus an Official Student Guidebook with real advice on how to navigate college life in a big city. Our internship program lets students build skills, earn money, and publish their own e-books. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @CampusClipper, and sign up for our newsletter to get deals straight to your inbox. To access the digital coupons, scan the QR code on our printed card—available in dorms, student centers, and around campus.

Relationships have been one of the most rewarding and challenging parts of my life. Over the years, I have learned that no two relationships are the same, and each one has shaped me in different ways.

My relationship with each of my parents has always been different. My father and I have generally gotten along with ease, while my relationship with my mother has been much more complex. We often argue, whether over something small in the present or something that happened years ago. Although those disagreements can be frustrating, they have taught me that family relationships are rarely perfect. They require patience, communication, and a willingness to understand perspectives that differ from your own.

I would say being bullied has changed the way I view humanity at times and it used to make me feel like I didn’t have a purpose but I think as I did more reflecting why I am the way I am. I started going to therapy more and started diving into my past as hard and hurtful. The truth was I had to face it as a man and feel all my emotions instead of pretending my life was sunshine, rainbows, sunny and joy. My trauma and battle started when I was at the end of 4th grade when I found out I was going to be held back due to reading scores and was mislead and lied to and said I was in a transitional phase instead of telling me the truth by my old principal it isn’t something I talk about with people due to fear of being portrayed as dramatic or some sort of victimhood. At 10-11 years old I didn’t have a voice to stand up for myself and felt like I was silenced. This was something I didn’t think about for years but that is when my real battle with depression, anxiety and suicide ideation began in my early teens as young as 12 but after an attempt at 17 I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety through a diagnostic exam July 2022 and showed signs of severe trauma and PTSD. I can say I’m healthy, alive and no longer having those thoughts as of 4 years later post that traumatic event. Because of this I started a page called WrittenHopeHQ which is something I created to help teens and adults with suicide ideation, depression and anxiety so no one should feel alone like I did. I also created the infographic logo and symbol to represent something symbolic and healing. I would like to be more consistent with this page even though I started it a year ago and I would develop a concept to get people on board maybe do events where we talk about our feelings and overshare in a safe space so people don’t contain their thoughts alone or vent to ai tools like I have done so many times I’ve lost count. This restores wounds in the world and humanity to repair and heal. In Judaism this concept is Tikkun Olam which is by far my favorite one in Judaism, something I practice everyday. Tikkun Olam helps me restore my lenses of how I see humanity and how I can do my best to be kind and empathetic to people. 

WrittenHopeHQ Symbol

Growing up in a family with Holocaust survivors in my ancestry also influenced the way I think about empathy. As the great-grandson of Holocaust survivors, I have always believed that the phrase “Never Again” should apply to everyone not only Jewish people, but any group facing persecution, mass violence, or genocide. To me, those words represent a universal commitment to protecting human dignity, regardless of a person’s nationality, ethnicity, or religion. That belief has become an important part of how I understand justice and compassion.

Friendships have also taught me important lessons. I have never been someone with a large circle of friends. Instead, I have valued a smaller number of meaningful relationships. My longest friendship has lasted six years with my friend Elizabeth. Although we are not as close as we once were, I am grateful that we still stay in touch despite having different political views. That friendship has shown me that disagreement does not always have to end a relationship if there is mutual respect.

6 Year Friendship With Elizabeth

Other friendships have been more uncertain. Sometimes I have questioned where I stand with people. Some friendships naturally became stronger through mutual effort, while others slowly faded over time. At first, I struggled with that reality, but I have come to understand that not every friendship is meant to last forever. People grow, priorities change, and sometimes life simply takes people in different directions.

Like many people my age, I have also found myself comparing my life to what I see on social media. There are moments when I mourn opportunities I feel I may have missed or compare my relationships to those of others. Over time, I have realized that social media often shows only the highlights of people’s lives rather than the full picture. Learning to appreciate my own journey instead of measuring it against someone else’s continues to be an important lesson.

One of the most difficult lessons I have learned involves forgiveness. I believe forgiveness has an important place in situations involving misunderstandings, honest mistakes, or poor communication. At the same time, I also believe that there are experiences that fundamentally change a relationship. Serious betrayals or violations of trust can leave lasting wounds such as emotional abuse, sexual harassment isn’t forgivable or something I tolerate which are things I unfortunately experienced but it has made me stronger. For me, learning empathy has also meant recognizing that people heal in different ways and that protecting one’s own well-being through healthy boundaries is sometimes necessary.

Moving from Florida to New York introduced me to people with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. As I continued questioning many of my own political beliefs, I found communities where I felt understood. Finding other Jewish people with similar perspectives made me feel less isolated during a period of significant personal reflection. Even today, I sometimes struggle with loneliness, but knowing those communities exist has reminded me that I am not alone.

One experience that had a lasting impact on me was meeting a Palestinian American and his Egyptian American wife while I was questioning Zionism. We spoke openly about history and our different backgrounds. During that conversation, he shared that he had lost many members of his family during the ongoing war in Gaza. Listening to his personal story reinforced for me the importance of empathy, not simply understanding ideas, but listening to the lived experiences of others, even when those experiences are painful. These conversations sparked a motivation for myself to be apart of peace groups with Israelis and Palestinians with confronting 

As I have grown older, I have realized that the relationships I value most are built on honesty, reciprocity, and meaningful conversation. I enjoy discussing ideas, learning from different perspectives, and forming connections that go beyond small talk. While not every relationship lasts forever, every relationship has taught me something about empathy, communication, and the kind of person I hope to become.

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By Aaron Newman

Aaron Newman is an Education Studies major minoring in Digital Studies. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, he writes about relationships, entertainment and fashion. He also writes about the hardship and being optimistic about his struggles and looking forward to the present and future.

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For over 25 years, the Campus Clipper has helped college students in New York City—and later in Boston and Philadelphia—save money and succeed in city life. We offer a digital coupon booklet with discounts on food, clothing, and services, plus an Official Student Guidebook with real advice on how to navigate college life in a big city. Our internship program lets students build skills, earn money, and publish their own e-books. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @CampusClipper, and sign up for our newsletter to get deals straight to your inbox. To access the digital coupons, scan the QR code on our printed card—available in dorms, student centers, and around campus.