Pursuing a higher education may be seen as a struggle for many as in most cases the differences between a high school education and a college education is much like night and day. The overall premise is the same which is to obtain an education but the means of doing so have drastically changed and thus students also have to change to accommodate this new form of education. A higher education is an essential element for a successful career, as a college degree holds value in regards to joining the workforce. Students have to lead their college life in a manner that allows them to seamlessly attain a plethora of skills and enjoy the journey towards the end goal.
The pursuit for a higher education can be simplified by implementing new outlooks to mundane aspects of life. Minimal changes may enable huge impacts at the end of the day and there is no harm in trying something different to view the cost to benefit ratio. Every stage in an individual’s academic career requires different levels of care as each stage poses a different set of challenges. Life as a whole will face numerous alterations when pursuing a higher education as some may take the approach of studying and working at the same time while others may take a more conventional approach.
Regardless of the route taken, it’s safe to say that things will get more complicated over time and it is up to the student to approach these complications with confidence. There are several ways to make the idea of pursuing a higher education more appealing to the youth. Success is what drives man and success will forever be the driving force for a civilization. To attain success when pursuing a higher education, a methodical approach should be taken from all aspects in order to live a balanced lifestyle.
Time Management
Time is something that humanity has been in battle with since the beginning and in most cases, we always lose but each time we fail to realize the reason. It can be said that time is the determining factor for a lot of our success and it also the limiting factor when it comes to achieving those successes. Time can be unforgiving for many so it is up to us to find ways in order to manage and make the most out of it. As a university student time management is key as it is the only way to be involved in other organizations whilst still maintaining a high prestige in academics.
One of the major tips that can be applied in life is having a mission statement. By forming a mission statement in mind, we tend to be more motivated whilst performing the task at hand. It gives a sense of purpose to our day and allows us to work towards achieving that end goal. By assigning meaning to portions of our day, we are able to feel a sense of accomplishment after completing a task. It’s always smart to set short term goals so we don’t give up along the journey to accomplish the main goal. A mission statement helps set a clear image in our mind as to what we hope to accomplish within a certain time frame.
Keeping a planner or schedule is also an invaluable tool for college students to prevent events from overlapping. Keeping up with a planner on a daily basis during the busier months is important, as having a written record of the day allows for the compartmentalization of different aspects of our life in a balanced manner. This allows us to set time for ourselves and also prevents us from being stressed or overworked at times. Our day should be planned in a manner that every aspect of life is balanced and nothing is ultimately neglected.
Keeping up with a schedule also allows us to be more active in other fields besides education. As a student that pursues higher education, a planner is an essential tool to keep up with assignments and classes as well as any other activities or events that may arise in the future to ensure a balanced college life. Setting up a planner isn’t the hard part but following through on those plans is something that many people struggle with due to lack of self-discipline. We should hardwire the importance of following our schedule no matter the circumstances as it will truly bring benefits in our day to day lives.
Another means of time management that can be implemented in life is to take baby steps and begin with the end in mind. It is proven that by taking it slow we are more likely to break our bad habits and slowly transition into a more controlled version of ourselves. We should start our journey of mastering time by having the end in mind. This way no matter how hard it is to make changes, we would still do it merely to accomplish our end goal. Sometimes small sacrifices have to be made to attain big things and one of those sacrifices is giving up time for entertainment in order to make time for tasks with higher priorities.
Networking
Social interaction is an essential part of our humanity thus establishing new friendships and relationships are extremely important. However not many people are able to achieve a well-rounded social life as many of us have to battle our own insecurities before facing the general public. Social skills are something that we should constantly work on as it will help us years down the road. Building a good rapport with the college community is essential but often overlooked as benefits go far beyond an individual’s academic career.
One of the primary benefits is that it allows the individual to feel more comfortable. Refining ones individual traits is best done during the pursuit of a higher education as it opens up so many new possibilities beyond the constraints of a singular institution. People are also more willing to go out of their way to provide aid during troubled times even though they do not have to do so and this is due to the air of friendliness that is created during social interactions. The setting when pursuing a higher education may often times be dull and laborious so it is up to the individual to seek out minute moments of ecstasy.
It further proves that we should always be approachable when out in public and there are various ways to achieve that. One of the ways is to look the part and maintain a level of professionalism as a person’s dress sense tells a lot about their personality. If we dress in an appropriate manner, we are able to build up a good mental image for ourselves in the mind of others. A smile also goes a long way as it allows us to radiate a sense of positivity and approachability when conversing with others.
Building a good rapport also allows us seek out more opportunities and open up more doors for the future. The more people we know, the higher the chances of making it in any given field/profession. However, networking whilst pursuing a higher education can only be achieved if we actively work towards it as opportunity is only present for those who are willing to pursue it. It would be foolish for us to assume that there is no need to practice social interaction when in reality this may just be one of the key attributes that gives us the edge we require to face any industry.
Leadership
Leadership is a vital asset when trying to set yourself apart from the rest as it is seen as a launching mechanism that catapults the individual to the top of the ladder in the corporate world. It is an invaluable tool that encompasses many core values that allows an individual to set a sense of authority and directorship to govern a group of people and guide them towards a goal or provide oversight throughout the journey towards the end point. These core values range from common moral or ethical traits such as honesty, humanity and justice all the way to complex human traits that develop over time such as critical thinking, conscientiousness, extroversion and neuroticism.
The concept of leadership can be put into words and taught to the masses however the true test is seen in a real world scenario and thus leadership is a skill that is extremely hands on and involves tremendous amounts of trial and error. This skill is unique to every individual and everyone has a different approach that suits their style and creates a sort of continuity flow which ends up becoming their trademark. Forcing a set of textbook rules when it comes to becoming a good leader is very unnatural and in most cases will fail to work. Replicating what has already been done has no value, so it’s better to implement a twist on an already brilliant concept.
Leadership can be taught through the practice of group activities to which students are challenged with the task of creating a fluid and well functioning group in order to produce the best results. Being a leader is not the difficult task but being a well rounded one is something most people fail to accomplish as it involves a key criteria which is flexibility. In order to accommodate the uniqueness of every individual in the team, the leader has to set aside the differences and ensure that everyone works towards a common goal in order to avoid conflict within the group.
In most cases leadership is truly tested in a higher educational setting and this is sometimes the first real world experience for many when it comes to harnessing their inner leadership skills. Many college students crumble under the immense pressure of having to figure out the balancing point between being tyrannical and too democratic which is extremely understandable and finding the sweet spot between the two takes time and practice. The important thing to note is that taking the first step will always be the hardest but it gets easier from then on. With that said, don’t be afraid to take up a leadership position and start embracing your inner skills.
Exploiting Your Uniqueness
Humans as a species share the same core characteristics however it can be said that each individual is wired differently. Thus, every single one of us tend to think and react in our own unique manner. This uniqueness is what allowed us to thrive as a species and build the civilization we live in today. Those who recognize their strengths and weaknesses early on are the ones who are ultimately capable of achieving great successes. This is because they play the game of life to their advantage and so this is definitely an invaluable trait that we should all exploit for our benefits.
The way we learn varies for each individual and it has been documented that there are four main preferences when it comes to the consumption of knowledge and those methods are visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic. This overall concept is known as V.A.R.K and in most cases, an individual may posses two or more means of consumption while others may lean strongly towards one in particular. It is possible to develop these traits over time as well and in most cases that can be a smart decision as it allows us to be more flexible and stand out from the general public.
For instance, an individual who is known to be more of a visual learner may benefit more from infographics and video formats rather than a audio based lecture. Whereas an auditory learner does the visualizing in their mind and tend to focus more on the annunciations and vocal pitching of a talk or speech. Those who prefer reading and writing have the upper hand in absorbing knowledge from a text based lecture and annotating said notes for future references. Finally, kinesthetic learners are more hands on and prefer a practical approach when it comes to education rather than a theoretical one.
Understanding ourselves early one may come in handy for the future as we are able to recognize areas we can improve on. The faster we can rectify our flaws, the more likely we can achieve a higher level of success at an early age. Thus proving that a higher education provides the prospect of more time to contemplate and value our individuality. Taking into account our abilities is extremely important when it comes to choosing a career path as it allows us to capitalize on our strengths and get a head start in the industry.
For instance, if an individual has a gift when it comes to public speaking, being able to apply that skill in the workforce would act as a differentiating factor in comparison to other individuals. Recognizing our learning preferences allows us to work smart and maximize our time wisely to avoid any wastage. This provides solid grounds to reach new academical heights just by changing our approach to education. It’s a simple step that could lead to major changes for the better.
Mastering our preferences early on may also have a huge impact when it comes to our professional skills as this means that we will be able to develop more skills in a shorter period of time. We are able to maximize our time and this will allow us to achieve a higher level of excellence by putting in less overall effort than we normally would. Implementing our preferences allows us to have a more enjoyable educational experience due to the fact that we are doing things in a more familiar or comfortable manner.
Our personality plays an important role when it comes to our learning style as we may be prone to a more introverted methods where there is a more intimate setting. Some prefer a more extroverted approach that allows them to speak their mind and gain different perspectives from others. Organic noise is not bothersome for some but may be calming instead and this is the sort of preference we should experiment with to truly understand ourselves. The more skills we have, the more well-armed we will be to face the workforce as employers today look to hire those who aren’t just a one trick pony but rather those who have a diversified skill set.
One Step At A Time
It may be overwhelming at first but it is important to take the entire journey one step at a time. Pursuing a higher education will be scary and frustrating for the first few months but it does have its own unique payoffs. It’s definitely important to note that pursuing a higher education goes beyond the basis of education and intertwines more with the day to day aspect of life. It brings forward many unanswered questions that challenge the individual in different aspects of life. There are many core characteristics that will soon embody the individual allowing for personal growth in the future.
In the short term it may seem vague but in the long run, higher education shapes the mindset of the individual due to the culture that surrounds it. It acts in most cases as a buffer period between a controlled environment and the real world. It provides the opportunity of arming oneself with the required skills before encountering true hardships. Higher education provides a better chance for success by allowing each individual to pursue a career in the professional industries which make up about 30% of total jobs.
Thus pursuing a higher education may not be so bad after all but it all depends on the path that every individual desires. If college is seen as a hinderance to achieve future goals then it is best to move on and never look back. Those who choose to ignore it due to the similarities that it may hold with high school is making a lapse in judgement as pursuing a higher education may go beyond the common expectations and bring forward new possibilities. Think it through and make the decision wisely as a hasty decision will only amount to more wasted time and all efforts will only go to waste.
Overall the pursuit of a higher education allows for numerous prospects in different aspects of life. It is a matter of choosing which aspect matters most and having the desire to pursue it to the highest accord. This means moving beyond the idea of a higher education just for the sake of it and instead capitalize on the opportunity by squeezing out different prospects. The only way to get ahead in life is by multitasking and the pursuit of a higher education presents a means in which a seamless integration of multiple skills can be achieved with simplicity.
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