Your Educational Process

If you are returning to campus, welcome back! If this is your first year at college then, welcome to your home away from home! Every semester you enter new classrooms, get to know and interact with new faculty and staff. Everyone has new expectations for you in the classroom, and everyone wants to you succeed.

Amidst all the excitement of the new school year, do not forget you have responsibilities. Enjoy the scholarship and leadership opportunities that are offered to you inside and outside the classroom.
I remember that my first year in college gave me the opportunity to reflect and think on what to expect inside and outside the classroom, and how can I be successful during the next four year of my undergraduate career.

Earning an education (associates, bachelors, masters, or doctorate) is a process. In this process you need to learn about yourself and by your new environment. Here is my own advice on how to be successful on our your educational process:

1.     Get to know your faculty.  Ask questions. Do not be afraid to ask for help when needed. Make sure you get to know them; they are humans just like you. As they will help you be successful inside the classroom, they could possibly help you be successful in the future by writing you a letter of recommendation for a job, internship, and/or a graduate program.

2.     Bond with your classmates. Your classmates will share with you similar experiences during your academic years. You will find out that you all are different, but yet you will find many similarities. Those similarities could be within your interest to scholarship or leadership.

 3.     Be intentional with your experience. Be intentional with the relationships that you make, with the opportunities that are provided to you, and with the work that you do. If you join a student organization, make sure it is something that you are passionate about, something that you want to invest time in.

4.     Look for a mentor(s) that will help you navigate the system. Follow their advice.

5.     Find your support within your family and friends. There will be times that you are no longer motivated to continue with the educational process. Be honest to yourself, to your family, and friends.

6.     Reflect and ask yourself: Why do you want your educational (college) degree? Have a clear statement of why you want to earn your education.

7.      Familiarizes yourself with resources available to you. Connect with the faculty and staff they can provide you with more information about the resources that are offer to you.

8.     Learn how to balance your personal life, student life, and professional life. Some of us have to work and go to school at the same time. Be open minded to change, but have the discipline to schedule time for yourself (go to the gym, watch your favorite TV show, etc.), schedule time for all your other responsibilities including (studying, reading, writing, attend to meetings, meet with your professors, etc.).

9.     Accountability. Know what do you want to accomplish every semester and every year, give yourself a date to check on your progress.

10.   Responsibility. Responsibility, you cannot scape it. Be prepared to know the material and submitted projects assigned when you walk into the classroom.

11.   Focus on your goals. Reality is that some of us will not complete the educational process. The goal is for all of us to finish our educational process and graduate.

12.   Allow the process to change you. You will be challenged inside and outside the classroom at different levels within your personal values and believes. You will have the opportunity to work with a diverse group of individuals; do not be afraid to differences.

13.   Always ask yourself: “What’s my purpose?” 

Best of luck on your educational journey!