How to Maximize Potential at College Pt. 1

When a person considers making an investment, he has to consider several things, the cost, the return, and quite possibly the risk of failure. Attending college with prospects of gaining a degree is an investment. There is a cost, and there is a return. There is also a possible risk of failure. When you keep in mind the steep price of tuition for most colleges, failure should not be an option, and an eye for success should be the primary motivator. However, what does definitive success look like to a person wishing to gain a return on a college investment?
What many college students or high school students do not realize is that just because they graduate with a degree and a high grade point average, they should not necessarily define their success based on those accomplishments. As high school prepares a student for college, college prepares a student for the career world. How is it, then, that so many college graduates are working jobs not even closely related to the career they studied while at school?
There are many different dynamics within this topic that could give reasonable answers to that question, i.e., unstable economy, etc. In whatever way, a college student should not lose hope in his or her efforts to heighten their chances for career success pertinent to their study interests. It is up to the student to maximize his or her potential for success. Here are some tips:
Get Involved – Take Initiative
The popular platitude “get involved” will most likely sound like a broken record, and the wisdom in this message will diminish each time this piece of advice is offered. However, most college graduates will attest to the importance of getting involved at school. Why? Because it opens the door to networking, and you will find soon enough that networking is a treasure to your future career success.
The responsibility you have is to take initiative in getting to know people around you. This can be a difficult task for some, but there will come a time when breaking out of a comfort shell is mandatory. I have found that graduates, looking back on their college experiences, who passed on opportunities to branch out and welcome people into their life have had regrets.
Here are some examples of ways that you can get involved with your fellow class-mates:
1. Networking Websites
If you don’t have a Facebook profile, get one. Facebook is a tool specific to networking. Start with adding to your queue of friends every one of your classmates. This is an easy way to start building relationships and keep on top of upcoming events on campus, etc.