U R What U Make of Yourself: U Don’t Have 2 Go 2 Harvard 2B Successful

I never aspired to be an extraordinarily financially wealthy person, or a doctor, lawyer or dentist. I have always only wanted to be able to pay my bills, continue on as a lifelong learner, and basically enjoy life on Earth. 

I did not attend an expensive private college. Not that I would not have attended a private college if I could have afforded to.. . .
I attended a relatively less-than-stellar state school that was noted more for its sports team than its academic prowess. That does not mean, however, that I did not learn a lot in college. Every professor I ever had was exceptional. I never met a professor that I did not like. They were always more than willing to help if only you took some initiative to ask them for help. That brings me to the theme of this post: U R What U Make of Yourself.

The short message is  this: If you put in the time and a sincere effort, you will succeed in your pursuit of a college degree and sustainable work. You will at the very least be able to support yourself in a comfortable American life with adequate food, clothing and shelter. Unless some horrible tragedy happens to befall you, life will supply you with the means to keep learning and reading and interacting with intelligent people for your entire life. What more can one ask for?

Putting in the time and effort means going beyond what’s only required of you. When I was an undergraduate, I participated in extra-curricular activities that I found interesting, such as writing for the student newspaper. Doing that got me an internship with a daily newspaper during my Junior year, as well as a scholarship that paid for a full semester’s tuition. The internship was one of the best learning experiences of my college career, better than any classroom. It was a lot of work, going to school full time, working a graveyard job as a desk clerk and writing articles for the student newspaper, but it all paid off. Plus, I was single and had nobody else to take care of other than myself. That’s a relatively easy task when you consider those students who also have families that they are responsible for supporting. 

If you are single, stay single until you graduate. Don’t even think about starting a family until you are finished with your undergraduate degree and have a decent job to support a family.  If, on the other hand, you have the responsibilities that come with being a parent and a spouse, take things a little slower and focus on your family first and don’t enroll in a full load of credits. It will simply have to take you a bit longer to earn a degree. 

Be aware that every higher education institution is really out to help you succeed. Don’t be shy about getting advisory services that are easily accessible to prospective as well as already enrolled students.

That’s my short tip for today. Not rocket science by any means but I think important to say. If you are an active student, please let us know how you are making it through your educational pursuits.  Are there are some insights you’d like to share regarding how you juggle your studies, your work and any other obligations you have?