College has in some way become part of the basic education system that many of us go through. We start in pre-school, then kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, college and maybe grad school if we choose. It seems that a college education has become necessary in order to find a well-paying job. For the most part this is true. Having a college education and a degree is definitely going to give you a competitive edge over those who don't. Yet if we're all going to college, aren't we all coming out on an equal playing field? This is where I see ambition come in.
When you Google search the word ambition, it is defined as “a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination or hard work." The hard work aspect of the definition is important. You have to work hard while in college to keep your grades up, absorb the information you're learning, obtain internships and network. However, the more important piece of the definition is determination. For me, ambition is all about having the desire and determination to want to be successful.
You can go through the motions of college. Go to class, put in just enough effort to pass classes, party, eat, sleep, repeat. Or, you can take advantage of those four, five, six years you spend at that university. You can go to resume-building workshops, attend speakers, join clubs related to your major, create relationships with your professors and so much more. If you are willing to go the extra mile, your experience at college will shape you as a professional far beyond the classes you take. Whether you dream of starting your own small-business, being a nurse in a major city, or living a luxurious lifestyle with a vacation home in the Hamptons, your dreams will not become realities without ambition.
Being ambitious and confident in your abilities is not being cocky. Being ambitious is actively working to better your own future so that you can be the best that you can be, and this doesn't look the same for everyone. Being ambitious could be working a sub-par summer job instead of a glamorous but unpaid summer internship because you need the money to pay for your study abroad trip in the spring. Being ambitious could be spending that Saturday in the library instead of at a daylong because you don't just want a mediocre grade on Monday's exam, you want an A. Being ambitious is about taking risks and not being afraid to fail. With ambition comes confidence, and confidence is a powerful thing. Few things can stop a person with confidence, ambition and a desire to succeed.
College classes and grades are important, don't get me wrong. However, ambition is what takes you to the next level. So don't be afraid to be confident in your abilities and take advantage of any and all opportunities you may have. Don't stand by and wait for good things to happen to you, make them happen. In the wise words of Wale, “They gon' love me for my ambition".
