“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader,”
—John Quincy Adams
One of the goals of higher education is to help each of you become a more well-rounded person, to develop skills and abilities that can transcend the classroom and follow you into a career. In order for this to happen you must be a willing and active participant.
Some of you may be thinking that you go to class and sit quietly, so what else is there for you to do. First, you must be actively engaged. This means you have prepared yourself outside of class so you can ask and answer questions during. The thought of actually doing this in front of people might make some nervous, but the ability to speak in front of people is a worthy skill to develop.
Employers like confidence. They like to have employees who can form opinions and have ideas. They also like having people who are willing to ask questions rather than try to do their best without the information they may need to make good decisions.
Another solid skill to develop is organization. Too many students seem to live in the moment and either can’t, or won’t, step back to see the bigger picture. They let projects and papers and tests slip up on them because they are never sure where they are in time and space.
While what constitutes organization can vary from person to person, you must essentially develop a system that works for you and keeps you on top of scheduled events. Learning to use a calendar or planner is a valuable aid to track when assignments are due and when you must begin working on them in order to have them finished on time. You’ll save valuable time, and your sanity, by finding a system that works.
Your classes should also be teaching you how to think critically and creatively. Innovations and new developments are brought to us by people who can think about things differently. Instead of always asking, “Why?” they have learned to ask, “Why not?” These students strive to see the relationship between what they are asked to do in a particular class and what they will be asked to do in a future profession. They want to understand the connections between the knowledge and skills they acquire in one class and what they acquire in their other classes.
Finally, you should be committed to your personal growth, both in and out of the classroom. Find your passion in life and pursue it wholeheartedly. That passion will translate into everything else you do. There are people all around campus who can help you with all these skills and more. You just have to ask. Come see us in Student Support Services. We care about your success.
—Mary Turner
Leanring Support Specialist
