How To Build Your Academic Confidence In College

How to be Confident in College: Tips and Resources

College can be academically challenging, and oftentimes, whether students have a strong sense of confidence can determine how well they tackle these challenges. As a result, it's important for students to nurture a healthy sense of confidence in order to perform well in the classroom and get the most out of their college experience.

"Confident students develop relationships with faculty that can lead to participation in research and other developmental activities," he says. "This leads further to possible future connections, letters of recommendation, internships, future work, or graduate school." Croskey goes on to say, "Confident students also mitigate negative consequences of stressful situations like testing or public speaking. They are more likely to participate in extracurricular activities, which can help them increase their emotional intelligence and leadership skills."

“Low socioeconomic status and an unstable home life can have a tremendous effect on student confidence. These are very complex issues that plague many students,” says Kendrick Kenney, program coordinator of the Digital Media Production Program at the Community College of Baltimore County and former full-time faculty member at Bowie State University. “However, confidence in these students can be built through comprehensive strategies. One is creating a balanced system that uses intrinsic and extrinsic motivational tactics. These tactics can promote a sense of team and community in a classroom setting.”

Tips to Build Your Academic Confidence

While there are experiences that can threaten students' confidence levels, that doesn't mean students can't do things to build their academic confidence now. The following are some strategies students can use to increase their confidence to help boost their college performance.

Building Confidence as a College Student

Although many college students may equate confidence with only personal benefits, like being able to meet new friends or start romantic relationships, having confidence also goes a long way toward enjoying many benefits in the classroom. Croskey explains the impact of confidence on academic performance this way:

"When students are confident, they are more likely to do the work required to achieve a positive outcome. For instance, if I have the belief that ‘I can't do math,' then it is unlikely that I will spend the time needed to repeatedly practice math problems. A belief that the ability to learn is fixed, or that someone is ‘naturally good' at some things and not others, is one mindset not particularly useful to good academic performance," he says. "When students are confident, they will act decisively to achieve the outcomes they envision and find ways to overcome the inevitable obstacles that arise. They will seek support to overcome those obstacles."

In addition, self-confidence can provide students with several qualities they need to be successful in school. According to Carol C. Kanar, author of "The Confident Student," some of these include being motivated, flexible, persistent, committed, empathetic and future-oriented.

Challenges to Building Academic Confidence

Students can face several challenges to their academic self-confidence throughout their educational careers, but some of these hurdles can be traced all the way back to their family life as a child.

Another threat to self-esteem is childhood trauma. Being physically, emotionally or sexually abused can create feelings of guilt and worthlessness that may translate to poor academic performance. In addition, these students may develop anxiety and depression, which can make it even more difficult for them to achieve in the classroom. Similarly, students who are the victim of bullying may also develop feelings of self-loathing that decreases their confidence. They may also feel hopeless in their situation, especially if they don't get adequate support from their family or teachers, and these negative feelings may result in them disliking school altogether. However, that doesn't automatically mean that students who are not bullied by peers fare any better in terms of developing confidence in themselves. A student's friend group can also cause a lack of confidence. Students who spend time with friends who tear them down, criticize them and pressure them to do things they don't want to do can also find their confidence erode in ways that are detrimental to their classroom performance.

Low self-confidence can also stem from factors outside of students' home or classroom experiences. For example, people may have their confidence threatened by the religion they practice if they feel they are unable to meet the standards set forth by their faith. This can result in self-loathing, guilt and shame, which can affect their performance inside and outside of the classroom. Also, the media can have a strong negative effect on self-confidence, especially when students are already struggling with their self-image. Regularly seeing ads that tell them they're not good enough for various reasons — from their skin to their clothes to their weight — can chip away at students' self-image and make them feel like they're inferior.

Getting Help on Campus

Students who need extra help building their confidence can find several resources on campus to help them feel better about their academic performance. Below are examples of some places where college students may be able to get assistance.

Peer Learning Groups

“I think the best way for students to gain confidence is through peer learning groups. It reinforces learning when students have an opportunity to teach and learn from each other. It also boosts confidence because students often share similar social discourse, which enhances the learning environment,” Kenney says. “I distinctly remember as a student staying after school and forming a peer group. Memories of this peer group and how it helped me in areas in which I struggled still remain with me today.”

Counseling

Students who are struggling with issues from their past that may have affected their confidence, as well as caused them to develop anxiety or depression, can get the help they need from the counseling center at their school. During the counseling process, they may learn information about how their negative thoughts and feelings have impacted their confidence as well as develop skills that will help them stop criticizing themselves and replace their negative thoughts and self-talk with healthier messages.

Academic Clubs

Academic clubs allow students to connect with others who share their interests and to spend time immersed in work they enjoy. Also, students may be able to develop their knowledge and skills in ways that can benefit them inside and outside of the classroom.

Disability Services

Students who have disabilities may have low confidence levels because of their condition. However, by getting the extra help that their school provides, they can improve their academic performance and confidence by mitigating some of the daily challenges they may face. Services for students with disabilities may include sign language interpreters, access to adapted computers, testing and classroom accommodations, reading materials in alternate formats and peer notetakers.

Tutoring

Getting tutoring on campus can help students get individualized help in the academic areas they need to improve on. Tutors can help students understand course content that is unclear, develop strategies for tackling tests and assignments, and learn how to manage their time. As students become better in their challenging classes, they will become more and more confident.

Additional Resources