- Define college success and explore ways to achieve it
- Recognize how campus support networks can improve your college experience
A Personal Definition for Success
How do you define college success? The definition really depends on you. Your definition of success may include getting an associate’s degree, or a bachelor’s, master’s, or even a Ph.D. Maybe your definition of success means receiving a certificate of completion or finishing skill-based training.
Maybe your definition of success also includes making social connections or gaining job experience that can apply to your career later on. Maybe you want to establish a balanced health routine that includes enough sleep and time to exercise throughout the week, while also keeping up with your coursework. Maybe success for you means that you spend time working during school to keep your overall debt load smaller, or that you balance your student life with your personal life so you can continue pursuing personal interests or spending time with your family.
You might be thinking of other measures of college success, too—like grades. For instance, you might be unhappy with anything less than an A in a course, although maybe this depends on the difficulty of the subject. You might also be perfectly content with passing the class with a C.
defining success
The definition of success can vary widely from student to student, and one student’s definition of success may even change during their time in school. Understanding your personal definition of success can go a long way towards ensuring you spend time and energy working towards that vision, and that you’re satisfied and fulfilled with how you spent your time in school.
To help you start to define what success means to you, take this quick self-assessment about your college goals and beyond. How many of these items are important to you?
| My Goals For College Success: | YES | NO |
|---|---|---|
| Change my major during my college years | ||
| Have good relationships with my professors | ||
| Learn if I am eligible for financial aid | ||
| Be eligible for scholarships | ||
| Win awards for maintaining a high GPA | ||
| Get reductions on my car insurance | ||
| Prove to my employer that I can work hard | ||
| Make my loved ones proud | ||
| Make social or professional connections | ||
| Get a better job after graduation |
Each of us has a different combination of answers to the questions above, but nearly every student in college answers yes to at least one of these questions. At the same time, we cannot be successful at everything all the time. We have to balance our energy and our focus.
Deciding to go to college has an opportunity cost.
opportunity cost
Opportunity cost means what you give up when you choose one thing instead of another. It is an economic principle that acknowledges that time, money, and energy are limited, and so every choice comes with a trade-off.
For example, if you spend an afternoon studying, you might miss out on hanging out with friends, working a shift at your job, or relaxing. Whatever you didn’t do—that’s your opportunity cost.
Going to college involves some big opportunity costs. You might have to give up working full-time, spending time with family, or doing other things you enjoy. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself: what are you willing to give up while you’re in college?
Opportunity cost is also connected to the idea of return on investment (ROI). When you invest your time and money in college, what are you hoping to get back? Your personal idea of success will shape how you answer that. Some examples of what you might gain from college include:
- Better job options
- More money over time
- New friends and professional connections
- Stronger communication and teamwork skills
- Personal growth and happiness
What kinds of trade-offs do you think succeeding in college will require of you? How do you think you might explain these trade-offs to someone who isn’t in college or has never attended college?