Being a Leader in Your Own Life by Emily

Being a Leader in Your Own Life by Emily - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Entering college this past fall was incredibly scary, and very quickly I learned that you can disappear among the hordes of new students trying to make friends; however, I also very quickly learned that this was not a smart idea. As I attended my first classes, I realized something very important: leadership skills are absolutely essential in college. No longer could I sit in the back of the class taking notes and indulging my introverted tendencies by not actually participating in the conversation; rather, I needed to step up and take charge of my own education. That is what is really important about having leadership skills in college: taking charge of your own education.

College is a time of new-found independence and a chance to reinvent oneself, so it is only natural that each individual would be in charge of his or her own life and education. College is what you make of it; it may be cliché, but it is absolutely true. Being a leader in your own life is what makes college possible, which is why having leadership skills is so important. This does not mean you have to run for Student Senate or become the class president; rather, it means that for the first time in your life, you are ultimately in charge. Being a leader in your own life is just the first step: once you accomplish this, other leadership roles will come more easily. There is something to be said for being comfortable in your own skin, and this is exactly what it means to be a leader in your own life, especially in college. This is really the one big chance you have to decide who you want to be for the rest of your life, so be a leader! If you can accomplish it now, you will be set for the rest of your life.

Leadership skills are extremely important in college, if for no other reason than that everyone needs to become a leader in their own lives and take charge of their own education. College is a time for new beginnings, and I believe it is a wonderful place to begin a life of leadership, starting with taking charge of one very specific life: your own.