The Academic Identity Redefined

As students, our identities are wrapped around our academics, from grades to building the perfect university application. When we introduce ourselves it usually goes along the lines of, I’m a student at this educational institution or, I’m pursuing this major at this school. However, there is always a point in your academic career that everything falls into shambles. For me, it was when I opened my grade 9 final mark for my science class and it showed a mere 86%. I hyperventilated when I saw my mark and wondered how I was ever going to make it in life. For many of you listening to me today you may be wondering, “what type of conceited teenager are you?” but let me explain. I am the oldest child in a Nigerian family, and this status means that I have three suitable career options: medicine, engineering, or law.  I believed my failure to be the best would be my downfall. Nevertheless, I was wrong, turns out in the grand scheme of things, your grade 9 marks in a subject do not ruin your life. 

Now that you have some background information about my old way of thinking, I would like to use my time today to share my path to fulfilment through stoicism and the theory of identity diversification. 

Throughout the pandemic, I have developed a deeper relationship with the internet. And as with all relationships, there is the good and the bad. After being introduced to LinkedIn, I realized there will always be someone better than you. Being somewhat proud of acquiring a paid internship over the summer, I discovered LinkedIn. This platform allowed me to learn more about my co-workers but also learn that there were teenagers the same age as me doing ground-breaking research at Harvard, developing solutions to the world’s problems, and interacting with Fortune 500 CEOs. Did I feel inadequate? Absolutely! Do I still feel like I pale in comparison to my peers? You guessed it, yes!

However, I understood my insecurity was rooted in the fact that I had no idea who I was, my purpose, or even who I wanted to be. Knowing the cause of my existential crisis allowed me to tackle my internal crisis with wisdom. 

It is impossible as a modern, digital citizen that you have not been violently fed the narrative that anything is possible as long as you try. And although this may be true, regular people like you and me are aware that there are obstacles that people don’t have control over. Attending the top private schools in the country are financial investments that not all families can afford, teenagers are not able to dedicate all their time to extracurriculars or lengthy side-projects because they need to take care of their siblings or work part-time jobs, and some lack exposure and mentorship. Understanding that privilege plays a critical role in the trajectory of our lives, but does not dictate your future, has pushed me to redefine my definition of success. 

Now, how do we build success to our standards and not the world around us? Well, I like to achieve this by understanding and applying two concepts: 

1. Stoicism

Stoicism is an idea, a lifestyle that once adopted gives you the endurance to take on the marathons of life as a student. What do you imagine when thinking of a stoic? Do you think of a numb emotionless person, or of a Buddhist monk who dedicates their life to meditation and spirituality? Truth is, it is not that complicated. Ultimately, “Stoicism teaches how to keep a calm and rational mind no matter what happens to you and it helps you understand and focus on what you can control and not worry about and accept what you can’t control” (NJLifeHacks, 2017). When you get that bad grade, you don’t get into your dream university or get rejected from your dream job, don’t take it to heart as it doesn’t define you and it is out of your control. Stoicism allows you to work to the best of your ability when you have control and place your trust in others that everything will be okay.

2. Identity Diversification

When learning about building an investment portfolio, one of the first concepts you will learn is diversification. Why is it important to diversify your investment portfolio? It is a practice done by investors of all experience levels because it minimizes the risk of one catastrophic event wiping out all your wealth. So, after trying to improve my own financial theory, I realized we don’t apply the same principles to our own identities. We are our most precious commodities, so to protect our vulnerable self-esteem we should put our assets in the form of identity in different sectors to help protect our sense of self.

As a student, you are ultimately a student. Deeming yourself as a life-long learner will allow you to explore different interests. These interests can potentially turn into hobbies, and maybe even careers. As you explore and “pick stocks,” you can start building a more diversified portfolio.

So, the next time you’re scrolling through LinkedIn, applying for jobs and post-secondary programs you feel underqualified for, remember the great stoics like Seneca and Epictetus and the wealthy venture investors so you can walk through life with ease, and confidence.