“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas A. Edison
College is many things; it can just be a good time or it can be the start of a new life. Either way, there are millions of chances for you to succeed and find great opportunities to begin marching down your desired path in life! Like Thomas Edison said, opportunity does take a good amount of work and if you don’t put in the effort, then all you’re doing is watching the clouds drift by.
The amount of work that comes with some of these opportunities can be extremely stressful and can often push you to your limits, but don't be scared. There are many ways for students to curve all of this work and guarantee your success; the best part about this is that it comes in five easy habits.
1. Be organized. First and foremost in college, to excel or succeed, you have to be organized and able to balance all of your classes and social life. In class, there is always so much material to learn--and you could also be trying to balance school and a job with no time. Either way, to make that grade, you’re going to have to find a way to organize your class information. Unfortunately, the days of ease and freedom are coming to an end, as the world of adulthood is opening quickly. The best place to take your first step is with organization.
2. Give your full effort. This is a bit cliché, but in college you should always give a hundred percent. However you’re paying for your education, the bottom line is that you’re paying-- or someone else is for you--thousands of dollars to get you a higher education. If that doesn’t make you want to give it your all and do the best you can, then this isn’t the place for you yet. On top of that, there are thousands of other students giving it their all in college every day. How are you ever going to succeed with so many others putting in more work than you?
3. Be unique. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to stand out in college and become unique. I’m not saying to get a microphone and start yelling at people on the mall, but rather make everything you do something of your own. If you’re writing a paper or giving a presentation, you should always try to find a way to let it mirror a big part of yourself and set your work apart from the rest. With the thousands of people at the university, it’s hard not to look like just one of many. But, at the end of the day, you know you’re different and that’s exactly how you should act.
4. Set and follow through on your goals. One of the most important habits to develop and really hold onto is the ability to set a goal and consistently meet that goal. This drive and determination is something that will take you a very long way in college. It could be losing that freshman fifteen you picked up or it could be improving your GPA. Either way, it’s important to realize that you can plan out whatever you want to do all day long but, if you don’t get up and do it, you’ll never succeed.
5. Relax and have fun. Last, and everyone’s favorite, is to have fun in college and make it a damn good habit to always let yourself relax after a long day. The truth is that college presents lots of opportunities, but not all are just through books and clubs; a lot of opportunities can actually come from the people you meet and the bonds you create here. Not only that, there is always so much for you to do on a college campus that you really can find a way to have some fun any day of the week. So let loose and let those hard college days drift away just a bit.
With these five habits, it will be hard for you not to do great in college and end up with some of the best memories of your life. Go out and completely submerge yourself in and see how you come out. Either way, you’ll come out with something greater than yourself as long as you persevere and hold on.
