Success Tips

Making the most out of your college career

Take a class you’re interested in, not required to take. You never know what you’ll get out of it.
Choose a major you’re passionate about, not one you think will make you the most money. Many students change their major countless times, and you never know which one will suit you without trying it out first.
It’s okay to be unsure of what you want your major to be. If you are stuck, explore the campus for ideas for a major you haven’t thought about. You never know what you’re going to find.
While looking for a major that can suit you, try finding an internship. You can learn a lot more than what is strictly in the classroom.
Connect with your professors. They have more than just the subject at hand to teach you about. They’re professors for a reason.
Leave a legacy for yourself. You want whomever you speak with to remember who you are, and what you’re all about.
Don’t just do what feels good to you, do what’s good for you. Making the right choice is sometimes hard, but it’ll feel better in the long run when you know you did.
Success takes hard work. Nothing comes easy or over night, and it’s important to remember that. And many people have plenty of failures before they have success.
Try to work towards becoming a positive person. Be honest, practical, generous, and driven. With those characteristics, you can achieve anything.
Have a mental health day. Everyone needs them. Take some time for you, and only you. Take a nap, watch a mindless TV show and laugh, get a good night’s rest, make a list of all the positive qualities you have, and last but not least remember to be easy on yourself. Everything takes time, but with the right amount of effort and dedication, nothing is impossible.

Tips on overall success, not just in the classroom

Make an impact not only with your grades, but also as an individual.

Joe Kirchmyer, senior creative services manager for The Buffalo News:

“If I’m going to hire a new college graduate rather than someone with some professional experience, probably the most important thing I look for is how they spent their time in college…In other words, did they make an effort?”

This shows us that more often than not future employers don’t want just a good student; they want someone who is well rounded. Meaning, a student that cares not only about their grades, but also about the world they live and wants to make a change for the better. Many steps to make yourself a diverse student is by joining an organization such as a club, sports team, or getting a job on or off campus.

Joe Martin, an award winning national speaker, author, professor and retention expert, once said:

“When I was in college I learned how to be a lifelong learner. It was in one of my classes. The professor brought in a guest, a young man who had graduated from college 2-3 years earlier and who owned his own business… I asked him, ‘How did you become so successful so fast?’ ”

Mr. Martin spent some time speaking with the recent graduate and was asked a few questions by the guest speaker. They were:

How many books have you read outside of class?
How much money have you saved for yourself?
In the past year, how many workshops have you attended? Especially not required ones?
How many other people have you asked this question to?

With these questions, Mr. Martin realized that in order to become a more successful student, he needed to become more involved in the school, but not just as a student of the school but also become apart of the community.

Look for a mentor.

Find someone that has a career you’re interested in. Contact them, and ask them all about their life. Ask about their road to the position they are in. How did they get there? What suggestions do they have for you? Are there any imperative thoughts or ways of thinking that they think you should leave with?

Information taken from Campus Calm University by Maria Pascucci