Teens Meet Outreach

What would you do if you go to college?

Continuing from where we stopped in the previous post of this series on how to make the best use of our college years, it is important to note that just as we have to learn not only to excel academically but spiritually, we also have to learn to develop socially and vocationally concurrently. These are also vital to our goal of living a successful life. So, we have to learn in college not only to develop spiritually and mentally but also we have to do the following:

1. Develop Socially

You can’t live in isolation; you will have to learn how to relate well with people. Your relationship with people is crucial to your success. The first thing you need to learn is teamwork. Learn to work well in groups. Learn to leverage and develop mutually beneficial relationships.

Most importantly, you need to learn and cultivate the habit of pro-activity. Personal leadership is the key to pro-activity. To be proactive means to be in control of your life and actions rather than just reacting to situations, peoples’ opinion and actions. It means making things happen rather than waiting for it to happen. Help yourself to take charge of your life and how it affects others.

2. Learn to do something with hands and on your own

This applies to all regardless of whatever status you belong to. Acquire skills. Learn trades and practice them even further by making money. This is to push you towards financial independence because after everything we still have to fend and take care of ourselves. During your days in college if you can start a little business, start and if you can’t, acquire skills that can earn you funds later. Some of us will have to fend for ourselves from college onwards and if not, at some point in life, we all still have to do that. The secret of business is picking a problem of humanity and solving it; in no time, you will be paid for.  And somehow you will know what it takes to fend for yourself.

If you are going to engage in business activities either actively or passively, it requires wisdom because it takes time. You have to choose something that won’t conflict with your academics and other things. Nevertheless, there are “Side hustles” a student can engage in without injury to your academics and other spheres of your life.

Read: Side Hustles Students Can Engage in with Profit

A LAST NOTE: BALANCE

In pursuit of this, our attention may be diverted and focus on just one aspect. All aspects are important; you will have to strike a balance in the ways you do things.

Socrates quipped “The unexamined life is not worth living”. Take this advice and take time out to evaluate your life on a regular basis to know how you are faring in all these aspects. Actually, true success in life is how well your life is balanced.

You might have seen and read books like “Why ‘A’ students serve ‘C’ students” and if you are like me, you would have been wondering what this means and why it is like that. The simple truth is that ‘A’ students end up serving ‘C’ students because they focused on one aspect alone: Academic Excellence but ‘C’ students (in this category) seek to develop themselves in all aspects.

You can be successful in all aspects; an excellent student who is socially and emotionally intelligent, capable of financial independence yet a fervent believer and God’s dearly beloved!

You will have to schedule your daily and weekly activities around these areas of basic development. Make sure each aspect does not remain the same over a couple of months at least. The road to success isn’t smooth but you have to walk through it if you want to achieve success.

In a nutshell…

Going to college is a personal decision but if you will go to college, I urge you not to waste those years. Use them to secure a great life for yourself. Use them to give yourself an edge over those who did not. Let college help prepare you for a successful life!

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