“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”
Do you recognize this quote? It is from the great Vince Lombardi. While Lombardi is talking about football, the concept of striving for success can be applied to any situation. My plan this year is to be successful! Deciding that was easy, determining what defines success was not so easy. In basic terms, as a student success means completing your degree or diploma, but, there are many more dimensions of being a successful student.
For example I believe completing a degree in a timely manner makes a student successful, maybe even more successful than someone who takes longer. However if that person overcame great challenges in order to complete the degree, are they not just as successful? I also believe that completing a degree with honors or with any form of award makes a student successful – while others may see that as an over achievement.
If I complete my course with a good grade but no transferable understanding of the course- work, I would not see this as a success, but others may.
If I graduate with a degree, honors and a bunch of awards, yet am unable to get a job, am I still a success?
I think MATC would define a successful student as someone who shows up to class, graduates and finds a job within six months of graduation. That’s what they used to base their 86 percent success rate of 2012 on.
I believe that success can only be defined by the person hoping to achieve it. If you base your success measures on those around you, you will never be happy. You will constantly be reaching for something unattainable or not reaching hard enough. It is good to be pushed out of your comfort zone occasionally but it is important to be reaching for things that are important to you and not someone else’s definition of success. Each person needs to decide what their truth is, what their potential is and what their life plan is.
The first step to determining what you define as success is deciding what you want out of school, or life. Then determine what steps you need to take to arrive at your chosen destination. These may be showing up for all your classes, spending an extra weekend studying or even signing up for a tutoring session. Reaching for a dream will occasionally mean sacrificing things, but if your dream is your priority it is worth it.
Celebrate the small steps that keep you on track to reaching your goal. If you get an A on your test, buy yourself a latte or treat yourself to a movie. These small successes help you toward your greater goal of success… but don’t stop there. When you are close to completing a goal, choose another one. Maybe it’s getting that dream job, or going from part time to full time, or even moving on to your bachelor’s degree.
Believe in yourself, and reach for your dreams – you can do it!
“Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” -Norman Vincent Peale