How to navigate the culture of competition at UVA

Let’s empower ourselves to seek help when we need to and to open the conversation on mental wellness

Most of us are familiar with the culture of competition at UVA. We’ll casually glance at someone’s laptop at the library and they have their resume up. Holy moly, we think insecurely. They do a lot.

We may not feel good enough, we may compare ourselves to our peers who seem to be doing better than us, and we may judge our self-worth based on our failures. The pressure to be the best, and the resulting mental repercussions, is an extensive topic that many of us have discussed at one time or another.

The other day, I was talking to a friend about her experiences at UVA. She told me she came from an area where she never had to do anything outside of keeping up with her academics. With the added stress of leadership and a social life on top of academics, she felt bogged down and heavy all the time.

Everyone around her seemed to be ahead of the game and she felt like she was struggling to catch up. I told her that I could relate completely, as many of us probably can.

Whether you’re studying for that midterm, searching for that job, or keeping up with your social life, it’s important to recognize a couple things*:

You’re not alone!

Many students are adjusting to competing priorities and expectations just like you. It’s normal to make mistakes and it’s normal to feel anxious at school.

Your self-worth is more than your academics or extracurriculars

What else do you value and how can these values play into your self-worth?

Re-evaluating yourself is a process

It’s helpful to build more realistic expectations of yourself, but it takes time and will.

We don’t have to accept this competitive culture

Why don’t we change it? Let’s encourage ourselves and others to redefine success and how it relates to us. Let’s be content and find value with relaxing over the summer. Let’s ask our peers whether or not they had bonfires on the beach instead of whether or not they interned over the summer.

Where can we find help?

There are a variety of resources on grounds, on of this is CAPS, the Counseling and Psychological Services.

Some students may feel deterred by CAPS, especially because of the stigma around mental wellness. Some are afraid to ask for help or think their problems are too insignificant.

But many don’t know how approachable, friendly, and helpful the CAPS staff is. I can attest to this not only from my involvement with Peer Health Educators (PHE) but also as someone who sought their help my first year.

One of the biggest events CAPS hosts is a Mental Wellness Screening Day. On February 18th, CAPS and PHE will be in Newcomb 360 from 11am to 3pm, where there will be free pizza, Campus Cookies, and the ability to meet with mental health professionals.

On the 19th, the screenings will continue in the Women’s Center from 10am to 3pm, and there will be free coffee and bagels.

The goal is to decrease the stigma around mental issues, improve the overall wellness of our community, and reduce barriers standing in the way of getting help.

The entire screening is fast, confidential, and free. There will be a variety of resources there including Third-Year Council’s Mental Wellness and Safety Committee, HelpLine, Queer Student Union (QSU), Active Minds, Campus Cookies, and To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA)

*research gathered from the book Whistling Vivaldi by Claude Steel and compiled by Andrea Iglesias, the Assistant Director of Outreach and Liaison Programming for CAPS

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