Adaptability is a Key Skill in Education and Beyond by Austin

Adaptability is a Key Skill in Education and Beyond by Austin - February 2023 Scholarship Essay

Soft skills are traits that can either be inherent skills or learned and enhanced through practice and life experiences. I believe that adaptability is a key soft skill that can have the biggest impact on a successful education. Being adaptable to changing situations or environments allows one to adjust expectations and modify an approach to a new task or challenge.

In 2010, Gary Yukl and Rubina Mahsud published a paper on the importance of adaptability and flexibility among professional leadership, and many of their points can be applied to students. The authors acknowledge that “different tasks usually require a different pattern” of behavior, which can be true in the classroom and can affect student success. In education, students are exposed to a variety of instructors, projects, and teaching styles. Classrooms can vary from a 300-person lecture session to a small, intimate class of 12-15 students, or even less depending on the subject. Likewise, some instructors might give daily pop quizzes whereas others only offer a mid-term and final exam. These very different approaches can be challenging to manage for someone who lacks flexibility and cannot adapt to changing situations. Individuals who take a more rigid approach to learning may find it difficult to transition between two very different instructors or teaching styles. Possessing the skill of adaptability, or teaching oneself to be more flexible and accommodating, can help ease the transition between teaching styles. This impacts education by preparing the student and building confidence for unexpected challenges, unique projects, and future educational opportunities such as internships or study abroad programs.

Adaptability is a skill that gives us choices, allowing us to handle change more smoothly and to recognize new opportunities that lead to experience and growth. As the saying goes, change in life is inevitable and there is an advantage to moving with the change or a risk of being left behind. Learning to anticipate or and even welcome change can help students build optimism, confidence, and can bring value to their efforts as they strive to be successful. Being adaptable and flexible arms students with core skills that can make them successful in navigating changing educational environments and later prepares them for success in the workplace.