Why College Students Should Keep a Journal?

A lot of successful people have one thing in common – they keep a journal. Thus, it is not surprising that most life coaches suggest the same. For others, it could be a waste of time and effort to write every random occurrence in your life. You probably think it’s just for some wimpy kid back in high school. Or maybe you believe that your life is mundane and not worth writing about. You thought wrong. Everyone has a story to tell. 

If you do not have one right now, this is the perfect time to start. As a college student, you should always aim to improve yourself. One of the tools to achieve that is by writing every day in your journal. If it still confuses you, here are the reasons why we encourage you to start a journal as early as now. 

It Improves Your Communication Skills 

To become a good writer, you must practice every day. But journaling doesn’t only forge your writing skills. It can also gradually improve how you speak. You will have a better train of thought, and you get to explain issues in a more organized way. Apparently, this is important if you want to ace your subjects or if you want to work well with your colleagues in the future. You can even share your ideas with confidence to your bosses. 

If you must know, your talent in writing is directly connected with speaking. Thus, by journaling, you are hitting two birds in one stone.  

You Become More Mindful 

Self-awareness is critical if you want to progress. It helps you identify your strengths and your shortcomings as well. As you write in your journal, you will notice a pattern in your behavior. You get to know what excites you and what frustrates you. Only by then we can efficiently manage and control our emotions. You start to develop empathy, which is an essential social skill. 

You Can Track Your Progress 

By writing down the things that happened in your life, you get to see how much you’ve developed. And this gives you more confidence. 

Even your failures could be contributing factors to your success, and we encourage you to write those as well. By acknowledging both your accomplishments and shortcomings, you start to plan more. And this can essentially help you reach your dreams. 

It Keeps You Motivated 

As you may have known, you can write everything in your journal. This includes your dreams, aspirations, and even your inspiration. You might not notice it, but the more you write these goals, the more you work hard for it. This might sound crazy, but it’s a form of declaring to the world what you want to be. 

It’s Good for the Mental Health 

According to experts, keeping a journal is also beneficial to one’s mental health. College students go through a lot of stress and anxiety. This is brought by complex lessons, peer pressure, and other relationships. And while you can always tell your friends about how you feel, we sometimes filter what we say. And this suppresses our emotions. If we do not have the right outlet, it can take a toll on our health. 

With writing, you can be as honest as possible, and you will feel a sense of relief. It’s a safe place to share what you genuinely feel. 

Boosts Problem Solving Skills  

By now, you know that keeping journals isn’t just about writing. In fact, it also improves our problem-solving skills. When you write your challenges or issues, you subconsciously analyze it. You write down several ideas, and before you know it, you’ve got the perfect solution. This is also the reason why we suggest writing without boundaries. Sometimes, the best ideas will come out of it. 

We strongly urge that you write every single day to form a habit of journaling. It doesn’t have to be a full page with thousands of words. A few sentences summarizing your day will do you good. Practice free thinking. And if you want to doodle on the side, then do so. 

Don’t forget to have fun as you write. It doesn’t even matter if you do it the traditional way or use digital platforms. It’s a venue where you can be creative, and you will see its benefits in the long run.