What Does Success Mean To You?
Learning Objectives
Examine positive self-talk and develop your inner self talk;
Identify the difference between growth and fixed mindsets and emotional intelligence;
Define college success;
Learn characteristics of a successful college student;
Practice visualizing your own success.
“On my own I will just create, and if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ll create something else. I don’t have any limitations on what I think I could do or be.”
— Oprah Winfrey
In this chapter, you will have the opportunity to identify your self-talk habits and how it impacts your everyday life and college success. We hope you’ll understand growth and fixed mindsets as they relate to learning. We often think we are open to learning yet, we may create our own mental blocks. Self-empowerment involves celebrating your strengths and improving upon your weaknesses to increase your self-confidence. You will inevitably experience challenges while in college, but don’t be afraid. You have the power within to overcome many common obstacles.
The success section will help you define what success in college means to you. Success means different things for different people. By discovering what your personal values are, you will identify what keeps you motivated. Are they intrinsic or extrinsic types of motivation? When you take advantage of your self-empowerment abilities, you will be able to increase your self-efficacy and achieve your greatest success in college and in life.
THE POWER OF POSITIVE SELF-TALK
Is your inner voice positive or negative? What thoughts dominate your mind when you sit down to study?
Positive self-talk is very important when it comes to your success in college. If you are always telling yourself that you won’t do well, eventually, you will start to believe that.
It may seem simplistic, but make sure you are thinking positively about what you are studying. Make sure you have confidence that you can achieve good grades. Always remember to not be extremely critical about a bad grade. A bad grade (or a good grade) should not define you. Perhaps an unsatisfactory grade is sending you a message to study harder, increase your academic support and create a plan to achieve your goal.
Getting an undesirable grade could also mean that instead of continuing with the way you studied, maybe you need to make some changes in your study habits so that you are better able to grasp the material. Never get discouraged though, keep trying, keep making adjustments if needed, and your hard work will pay off.
Your Turn: Activity
ARE YOU A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE THINKER?
Go to “Are You a Positive or Negative Thinker?” www.bit.ly/C20_MindToolsThinking
Read the article and do the activities to learn how positive and negative thinking can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Positive thinkers are more optimistic, happier, and healthier than negative thinkers. Therefore, positive thinkers are associated with positive actions and outcomes. This site offers a quiz to determine whether you are a positive or negative thinker. The article gives us examples of how pessimistic thinkers frame a situation so that outcomes are self-defeating, whereas optimists see the same event as an opportunity for gain or change!
When in doubt, keep telling yourself you CAN do well, even if it is in a challenging subject. The table below shows some examples of positive affirmations you can use to develop a positive attitude towards learning and the good habit of positive self-talk.
Please take time to develop positive affirmations in areas of your life you would like to improve. We highly encourage you to develop a couple of positive affirmations for your continued success in academics.
It is important to become aware of our learning habits, our self-awareness of how we view ourselves and understand how we adopted our thinking. There has been research conducted to identify how we react to failure. Moreover, to identify how we can acquire a new way of thinking to manage our success.
Video
The Scientific Power of Thought, this video gives a brief overview of brain and thought processes and the neuroscience behind them: www.bit.ly/C20_Powerofthought
REFRAMING NEGATIVE SELF-TALK
Instead of thinking to yourself, “I’m not good at this!” You could try asking, “What am I missing here?”
Instead of saying, “I give up,” you could say, “let me try one of the strategies we learned that is new to me;”
Instead of saying, “this is too hard” to yourself, you could say, “this might take more time and effort than I anticipated;
Instead of resigning yourself to failure and saying something like, “I just can’t do math,” you could consider, “I may not be great at Math now, but I think I could train myself to improve.”
These are just a few ways to encourage yourself. What do you say to yourself? How could you re-script your self-talk?
FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSET
According to Carol Dweck, https://bit.ly/caroldweckwiki, individuals can be placed on a continuum according to their implicit views of "where ability comes from." Dweck states that there are two categories growth mindset vs fixed mindset .Those with a "fixed mindset" believe that abilities are mostly innate and interpret failure as the lack of necessary basic abilities, while those with a "growth mindset" believe that they can acquire any given ability provided they invest effort or study. Dweck argues that the growth mindset "will allow a person to live a less stressful and more successful life."
Dweck defined both fixed and growth mindsets:
"In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are fixed traits with a restricted amount. Eventually, their goal becomes to appear smart all the time and to never come across as dumb. In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don't necessarily think everyone's the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone has the ability to be smart if they work hard.”
A large part of Dweck's research on mindsets has been done in the field of education, and how these mindsets affect a student's performance in the classroom. The growth mindset is clearly the more desirable of the two for students. According to Dweck, individuals with a "growth" theory are more likely to continue working hard despite setbacks. Individuals' theories of intelligence can be affected by subtle environmental cues. For example, children given praise such as "good job, you're very smart" are much more likely to develop a fixed mindset, whereas if given compliments like "good job, you worked very hard" they are likely to develop a growth mindset.
While elements of our personality – such as sensitivity to mistakes and setbacks – can make us predisposed towards holding a certain mindset, we are able to develop and reshape our mindset through our interactions.] In multiple studies, Carol Dweck and her colleagues noted that alterations in mindset could be achieved through “praising the process through which success was achieved,” and “having [college-aged students] read compelling scientific articles that support one view or the other”, or teaching junior high school students “that every time they try hard and learn something new, their brain forms new connections that, over time, make them smarter.” These studies all demonstrate how framing and discussing students’ work and effort play a considerable role in the type of mindset students develop and students’ conceptions of their own ability.
Carol Dweck and Jo Boaler have done extensive research on the topics of fixed and growth mindset. However, studies on mindset depict results that show that there is a disparity in the fixed and growth mindsets among genders. In Boaler’s Ability and Mathematics: The Mindset Revolution that is Reshaping Education, https://bit.ly/mindsetwiki, she notes that fixed mindset beliefs lead to widespread educational inequities. Boaler’s research shows that many feel as though they are not smart enough or capable enough to continue in certain subjects, such as STEM areas of academia. Boaler uses Carol Dweck’s research showing that, “gender differences in mathematics performance only existed among fixed mindset students." (Boaler, 2013)
Dweck’s research and theory of growth and fixed mindsets has been useful in intervention strategies with at risk students, dispelling negative stereotypes in education held by teachers and students, understanding the impacts of self-theories on resilience, and understanding how process praise can foster a growth mindset and positively impact students’ motivation levels.
For those with fixed mindsets, intelligence is static. There is a desire to appear smart and therefore a tendency to avoid challenges, give up easily and think of efforts as fruitless. They may also ignore negative feedback, even if it is useful, feel threatened by the success of others, and therefore may plateau early and not reach their full potential. Those with a growth mindset believe intelligence can be developed, which leads to a desire to learn, embrace challenges, and persist in the face of setbacks.
These people believe effort is required to get really good at anything, learn from criticism and find lessons and inspiration in the success of others. As a result, those who develop growth mindsets achieve more and have a stronger sense of free will.
The mindset you choose defines your behavior and your world. In one world, the world of fixed mindset, success is about proving you are smart or talented, or validating yourself. In the other, the world of growth mindset, it is about stretching yourself to learn something new.
Please take time to reflect on a situation where you exercised a fixed mindset. Really evaluate how it impacted you. Imagine if you had the opportunity to go back in time, how would you apply a growth mindset? I can remember when I was enrolled in my first semester of college and I was so excited and scared. I feared my peers and professors would find out I was an average student. I exercised a fixed mindset by continuing my same learning behavior as a college student. I soon found I was not passing my classes. If I could go back in time, I would have a growth mindset and develop my learning habits by asking for support. I would go to tutoring, talk to my professors, ask follow up questions and ask my peers what their understanding of the lesson was. I would take responsibility to learn what I did not know and not pretend I knew the information.
I encourage you to practice a growth mindset, review the Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset charts 2.2 and 2.3. Develop an understanding of how you can apply a growth mindset. As I mentioned earlier, I had a fixed mindset in college; I wanted to look “smart” and avoid challenges, especially in math and science courses. In addition, I was not able to really understand positive criticism. I did not know how to receive it and translate it as a resource to help me become a better learner. My experience with criticism was always negative and it was not intended for my best interest. Honestly, other peoples’ success intimidated me and really highlighted how much I doubted my learning abilities.
The biggest mistake I made during my college years was to develop a script in my mind where I focused on a “fixed” deficit mindset. I was really hard on myself and I created mental barriers and convinced myself of not having the abilities to learn. Once I was on academic probation I evaluated my situation. If I continued on this path, I needed to make a commitment to my education. I valued my opportunity to become the first in my family to earn a college degree. I took a leap of faith and was honest with myself. I identified and created a support system on campus. I made counseling appointments, used the tutoring lab, went to instructor office hours and attended class every day. I acquired new learning habits, time management, note taking strategies, committing to my study time, asking questions and learning from my mistakes.
We will continue to develop your self-awareness. Along with self-awareness it is important to learn about emotional intelligence and how you apply it to your everyday life.
Video
This brief video highlights how emotions affect our thinking and emotional response: www.bit.ly/C20_Emotions
Today, let’s decide together to learn from our mistakes. Let’s learn new concepts and take positive risks. Let’s go!
COLLEGE SUCCESS
Take Responsibility for Your Success
A college education is aligned with greater success in many areas of life. While enrolled in college, most students are closely focused on making it through the next class or passing the next test. It can be easy to lose sight of the overall role that education plays in life. But sometimes it helps to recall what a truly great step forward you are taking!
It’s also important to recognize, though, that some students do not succeed in college and drop out within the first year. Sometimes this is due to financial problems, or personal/family crises. But most of the time students drop out because they’re having trouble passing their courses.
In this section, we examine the elements of college success. Are there patterns of success you strive for but aren’t yet reaching? Where might you increase your support? What strategies can you use to achieve success in your college endeavors?
Success in college is the theme of this program—and you’ll be learning more about a wide variety of topics related to doing well in and outside of school. Let’s first define what success really means so that you can get started, right now, on the right foot.
Understand first that no program, book or class can “make” you be successful—it can only offer the tools for you to use if you want. What are you thinking right now as you read these words? Are you reading this right now only because you have to, because it is assigned reading in a course you have to take—and your mind keeps drifting to other things because you’re feeling bored? Or are you interested because you’ve decided you want to succeed in college?
We hope it’s the latter, that you’re feeling motivated—and excited, too—to do a great job in college. But even if you aren’t much concerned at present about these issues, we hope you’ll keep reading and do some thinking about why you’re in college and how to get motivated to do well.
“Success” and “Failure”
So what does “success” actually mean in college? Good grades? That’s what many students would say— at least toward the beginning of their time in college.
When you ask people about their college experience a few years later, grades are seldom one of the first things mentioned. College graduates reflecting back typically emphasize the following:
The complete college experience (often described as “the best years of my life”;
Exploring many different subjects and discovering one’s own interests;
Meeting a lot of interesting people, learning about different ways to live;
Learning how to make decisions and solve problems that are now related to a career;
Gaining the skills needed to get the job—and life—one desires.
When you are achieving what you want in life and when you are happy and challenged and feel you are living life to its fullest and contributing to the world, then you likely feel successful. When you reach this point, the last thing you will consider are your grades in college.
This is not to say that grades don’t matter, getting good grades is not the ultimate goal of college or the best way to define personal success while in college. Five or ten years from now, no one is going to care much about what grade you got in freshman English or Biology 101. A successful college experience does include acceptable grades, but in the end, in your long-range goals, grades are only one component of a larger picture.
How Much do Grades Really Matter?
As you begin your college experience, it’s good to think about your attitude toward grades, since grades often motivate students to study and do well on assignments.
Valuing grades too highly, or not highly enough, can cause problems. A student who is determined to get only the highest grades can easily be frustrated by difficult college classes. Expectations that are too high may lead to disappointment—possibly depression or anxiety—and may become counterproductive. At the other extreme, a student who is too relaxed about grades, who is content simply with passing courses, may not be motivated to study enough even to pass—and may be at risk for failing courses. What is a good attitude to have toward grades? The answer to that depends in part on how grades matter generally—and specifically in your own situation. Here are some ways grades clearly do matter:
At most colleges, all students must maintain a certain grade point average (GPA) to be allowed to continue taking courses and to graduate;
Financial aid and scholarship recipients must maintain a certain grade in all courses, or a minimum GPA overall, to continue receiving their financial award;
In some programs, the grade in certain courses must be higher than simply passing in order to count toward the program or major.
After graduation, it may be enough in some careers just to have completed the program or degree. But in most situations, how well one did in college may still affect one’s life. Employers often ask how well you did in college (new graduates at least—this becomes less important after one has gained more job experience). Students who are proud of their grades usually include their GPA on their résumés. Students with a low GPA may avoid including it on their resume, but employers may ask on the company’s application form or in an interview (and being caught in a lie can lead to being fired). An employer who asks for a college transcript will be able to review all your grades, not just the overall GPA.
In addition to the importance of jobs, grades matter if you plan to continue to graduate school, professional school, or other educational programs—all of which require your transcript.
Certainly grades are not the only way people are judged, but along with all forms of experience (work, volunteer, internship, hobbies) and personal qualities and the recommendations of others, they are an important consideration. After all, an employer may think, if this person goofed off so much in college that they got low grades, how can I expect them not to goof off on the job?
Your Turn: Activity:
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR GPA
Because of various requirements for maintaining a GPA at a certain level, you may need to know how to calculate your GPA before grades come out at the end of the term. The math is not difficult, but you need to consider both the grade in every course and the number of credit hours for that course in order to calculate the overall GPA. Here is how you would do the calculation in the traditional four-point scale. First, translate each letter grade to a numerical score:
A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1
Then multiply each grade’s numerical score by the number of units or hours for that course: B in Math 54 × 4 hours = 3 × 4 = 12, B in English 1 × 3 hours = 3 × 3 = 9, C in History 10 × 3 hours = 2 × 3 = 6, A in Counseling 20 × 3 hours = 4 × 3 = 12
Then add together those numbers for each course: 12 + 9 + 6 + 12 = 39.
Then divide that total by the total number of credit hours: 39 / 13 = 3.0 = GPA of 3.0.
Speak with a Counselor if you have transcripts from other colleges and have + and − grades.
The best attitude to take toward grades in college is simply to do the best you can do. Almost everything in this book—from time management to study skills to social skills and staying healthy—will contribute to your overall success and, yes, to getting better grades.
If you have special concerns about grades, such as feeling unprepared in certain classes and at risk of failing, talk with your academic counselor as much as needed. If a class requires more preparation than you have from past courses and experience, you might be urged to drop that class and retake the class—or to seek extra help. Your advisor can help you work through any individual issues related to doing well and getting the best grade possible.
Can you Challenge a Grade?
Yes and no. College instructors are very careful about how they assign grades, which are based on clear-cut standards often stated in the course syllabus. The likelihood of an instructor changing your grade if you challenge it is very low. On the other hand, we’re all human—mistakes can occur, and if you truly feel a test or other score was miscalculated, you can ask your instructor to review the grade. Just be sure to be polite and respectful.
Most situations in which students want to challenge a grade, however, result from a misunderstanding regarding the expectations of the grading scale or standards used. Students may simply feel they deserve a higher grade because they think they understand the material well or spent a lot of time studying or doing the assignment. The instructor’s grade, however, is based on your actual responses on a test, a paper or other assignment. The instructor is grading not what they think is in your head, but what you actually wrote down.
If you are concerned that your grade does not accurately reflect your understanding or effort, you should still talk with your instructor—but your goal should be not to argue for a grade change but to gain a better understanding of the course’s expectations so that you’ll do better next time. In addition to your professor schedule an appointment to talk to your academic counselor to discuss all of your options. Additionally, you can speak with the Ombuds office, www.smc.edu/ombuds, at Santa Monica College to discuss a grade dispute. The Ombuds office acts as a listening ear, conciliator, mediator and resource for students for issues involving faculty, administrators, and other issues.
Instructors respect students who want to improve. Visit the instructor during office hours or ask for an appointment and prepare questions ahead of time to help you better understand how your performance can improve and better indicate how well you understand the material.
A major aspect of college for some students is learning how to accept criticism. Your college instructors hold you to high standards and expect you to have the maturity to understand that a lower grade is not a personal attack on you and not a statement that you’re not smart enough to do the work. Since none of us are perfect, we all can improve in almost everything we do—and the first step in that direction is accepting evaluation of our work. If you receive a grade lower than you think you have earned, take the responsibility to learn what you need to do to earn a higher grade next time.
Get Started on the Right Foot, Right now
The first year of college is almost every student’s most crucial time. Statistics show a much higher drop- out rate in the first year than thereafter. Why? Because, for many students, adjusting to college is not easy. Students wrestle with managing their time, their freedom, and their other commitments to family, friends, and work. It’s important to recognize that it may not be easy for you.
Are you ready? Remember that everything in this book will help you succeed in your first year. Motivation and a positive attitude are the keys to getting off to a running start. The next section lists some things you can do to start right now, today, to ensure your success.
Make an appointment to talk with your academic counselor if you have any doubt about the courses you have already enrolled in or about the direction you’re taking. Start examining how you spend your time, and ensure you make enough time to keep up with your courses;
Check for tutoring assistance if you feel you may need it and make an appointment or schedule time to visit tutoring centers on your college campus to find out what help you can get if needed;
Like yourself. You’ve come a long way to reach this point, you have succeeded in taking this first step toward meeting your college goal, and you are fully capable of succeeding the rest of the way. Avoid the trap of feeling down on yourself if you’re struggling with any classes;
Plan ahead. Check your syllabus for each class and highlight the dates of major assignments and tests. Write on your calendar the important dates coming up;
Take in your classroom and plan to introduce yourself right away to one or two other students. Talking with other students is the first step in forming study groups that will help you succeed;
Introduce yourself to your instructors, if you haven’t already. In a large lecture, go up to the instructor after class and ask a question about anything in the lecture or about an upcoming assignment;
Participate in your classes. If you’re typically a quiet person who prefers to observe others asking questions or joining class discussions, you need to take the first step toward becoming a participating student—another characteristic of a successful student. Find something of particular interest to you and write down a question for the instructor. Then raise your hand at the right time and ask. You’ll find it a lot easier than you may think;
Vow to pay more attention to how you spend your money. Some students have to drop out because they get into debt;
Take good care of your body. Good health makes you a better student. Vow to avoid junk food, to get enough sleep, and to move around more.
Excellent! Start doing these few things, and you’ll be a step or two ahead—and on your way to a successful first year!
Success and Pride
If the prospect of committing to the path of higher education still feels daunting, you might find inspiration in thinking about the many potential gains you can experience. Talk with friends, family members, and others who have been to college and to people who have succeeded—in whatever ways they define success. Listen for clues about what they feel worked and what didn’t and what they would change. Do you hear threads of topics broached so far in this course?
College success is an attainable goal, so be encouraged that you are on a path of great potential. Below is the success story of a college graduate. Might your story be similar to this one someday?
Your Turn: Activity
REFLECTING ON YOUR GPA & TOOLS FOR SUCCESS
On a sheet of paper or document, answer the following questions:
At your college or for your specific major, do you need to maintain a minimum GPA in order to continue in the program? (If you don’t know, check your college catalog or website.) What is that minimum GPA?
What was your cumulative GPA in high school?
Because college classes are usually more difficult than high school classes, figure—purely as a starting point—that with the same effort, your college GPA could be a full point (or more) lower than your high school GPA. Does that give you any cause for concern? If so, what do you think you should work on most to ensure you succeed in college?
For each of the following statements, answer T for true or F for false:
You talk to your academic counselor only when it’s time to register for courses or when the college requires you to;
The best way to get help with a class is to pick whoever seems like the smartest student in class and offer to pay that person for tutoring;
A positive attitude about yourself as a college student helps you stay motivated to work on succeeding in your classes;
Understanding one’s own learning style makes it easier to understand how to apply one’s strengths when studying and to overcome obstacles to learning by adapting in other ways;
Meeting other students in your classes is important early on because you can skip classes once you arrange to borrow other people’s notes;
Participating in class is a key to being successful in that class.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT
What does it take to be a truly successful college student? Do you believe you already are or will be successful? What things do you need to embrace to ensure your success?
Your Turn: Activity
CHARACTERISTICS THAT IMPACT STUDENT SUCCESS
Below is a list of some important characteristics that impact student success. By answering the questions on a scale of “I usually do” to “I seldom do,” you’ll gain insight into the characteristics you’ve got going for you already and where you might need to build some new habits. Remember, these characteristics aren’t things you’re born with—you have to develop and practice them. On a sheet of paper or document, answer the following questions on a scale of “I usually do” to “I seldom do.”
DO I . . .
Plan my course load realistically based on my non-college responsibilities?
Know how to get in touch with my academic counselor?
Schedule my classes at times when I learn best?
Calculate the amount of study time needed per course and schedule it?
Ensure that any computer hardware and software I need for classes is updated and working smoothly?
Know all my passwords for email, courses, financial aid, etc.?
Review my class locations before the first day of class by printing and marking them on a map?
Know how to find the library, testing center, computer center, and tutoring center before classes begin?
Enlist friends and family to support my academic goals and plans, to help keep me on track?
Show up to class?
Participate in class?
Take notes in class?
Show up to class?
Participate in class?
Take notes in class?
Review my notes after class, organize them, and add details after I reflect on what I learned?
Stay caught up on class work, and not get behind?
Read the required material before class?
Start assignments a couple days before they’re due?
Complete assignments?
Complete assignments fully, and answer all parts of the questions?
Turn assignments in on time?
Understand the main ideas, and not just memorize details?
Get phone numbers from a few students in the class, so I can contact them with questions?
Ask other students for clarification?
Ask other students who have taken the course from my instructor about their teaching style and expectations?
Talk to my instructor during office hours, when needed?
Ask my instructor about the materials taught and assignments when I have questions?
Start reviewing materials and studying for exams, well before the exam date?
Review my old exams, problem sets, and quizzes before the final?
Show my work on homework and exam problems?
Find a study group to work through difficult assignments and study for tests?
Keep all my exams, and review the materials and types of questions?
Get involved in a campus organization?
Find the balance between academics and life outside of class?
Make my education a priority?
Eat nutritious meals?
Get adequate sleep?
Exercise?
Make certain that I’m physically and mentally healthy?
Make certain leisure activities don’t interfere with studying and class?
Your Turn: Activity
DEVELOP YOUR PERSONAL DEFINITION OF SUCCESS
For this activity, create your own definition of success. Dictionary.com defines success as “the favorable outcome of something attempted.” For many students in college, success means passing a class, earning an A, or learning something new. Beyond college, some people define success in terms of financial wealth; others measure it by the quality of their relationships with family and friends.
Ultimately, before we can know if we are successful, we must first define what success means for ourselves.
Instructions:
Develop a 750-word essay defining what success means to you in college and beyond. To help you develop this essay, you might want to consider the following:
Find a quote (or make one up) that best summarizes your definition of success (be sure to cite the author and the source, such as the URL);
Why does this quote best represent your personal definition of success?
What people do you consider to be successful and why?
What is your definition of success?
What will you do to achieve success?
What is the biggest change you need to make in order to be successful in college?
How will you know you’ve achieved success?
VISUALIZING SUCCESS
Throughout this course we have focused on multiple factors that contribute to college success. We discussed the power of motivation and positive talk and you developed your own personal definition of success earlier in the semester. You deeply examined your values and goals and now it’s time to visualize your success!
Let’s revisit your personal definition of success.
Visualization is a technique commonly used where one creates a mental image of what one desires. In this case visualize yourself achieving your personal definition of success. Create a mental image and focus on the details of what your success is like, what it feels like and who may be involved with you. Picture the details in your mind and think of your personal, academic and career success. Where do you hope to be in the next 2, 5, 7, or 10 years? Where are you and who are you with? What are you doing and what is a typical day like for you? What are you wearing and how do you feel? Create as many details as possible in your mental image so you can feel into your future clearly. This feeling is something that is so strong it motivates you to work harder and harder each day until you make this vision a reality. Repeat this visualization exercise daily, maybe once or twice a day. Take anywhere from 3 - 5 minutes a day to practice visualizing your success.
In addition to visualization techniques, think of a symbol that represents success to you. As you move more deeply into your college journey, consider selecting a symbol of your commitment to success.
Consider your own personal definition of “success.” What would a physical representation of that success be like? Many people consider graduation caps or diplomas to be symbols of college success. If those are meaningful to you, consider choosing one. Alternatively, yours can become more personal— an item that speaks to you as a sign of what you’re working toward and how you’ll know you’ve “made it.”
Some ideas from previous students include:
A stethoscope, for an aspiring medical student;
A set of professional salon scissors, for an aspiring beautician;
An office door nameplate, for an aspiring law student.
Once you find a meaningful symbol—perhaps an object or an image or even an idea—keep it in a place where you can easily access it. In moments when you need a boost, you can remind yourself that college success begins and ends with your commitment to learning well.
The symbol of success you decide on along with your mental image of personal success can serve as strong motivators that serve to reinforce your efforts throughout your college journey and beyond.
Key Takeaways
While success in college involves many benefits and experiences, grades remain one important measure of success;
Acceptable grades are important for continuing your college program and financial aid, for graduate school or other future educational opportunities, and for obtaining a good job in most careers;
Succeeding is especially important in one’s first year of college because this is the most critical period to avoid the factors that lead to many students dropping out;
You can launch yourself on a path of success immediately by taking the first steps for help with studies, developing a positive attitude, meeting your instructors and other students, and participating actively in your classes.
N.B.: The Student Success Library item was customized for Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, CA. You may come across SMC-specific resources, links, or activities that do not apply to you. Search for your own school’s resources or google for similar tools that can help you where you live, study and work.
This work, What Does Success Mean To You?, is part of the Student Success Library, which is a derivative of Student Success, originally modified by Vanessa Bonilla, Dr. Tyffany Dowd, Jackeline Felix, Dyana Valentine, Olivia Vallejo and Daniella Washington from the original Student Success by Graciela Martinez, Anh Nguyen, and Liz Shaker under CC BY-SA 4.0. Student Success Library is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 by Dyana Valentine. Last edit date: July 2022.