Leadership Is Not Essential For College Success by Ryan

Leadership Is Not Essential For College Success by Ryan - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

There are more important things to develope in college than leadership skills. Having the ability to command or to take charge is a less vital tool for a student than optimism and listening. There are few students that will operate in only one area of interest and it will rarely be the case where leadership dominates. Speaking strictly to the college environment, being a leader will likely be independent of success in almost every instance. For situations presented in the classroom, socially, economically, romantically, or domestically there are appropriate responses that intimately involve others. College success is an umbrella for all of these categories; it takes more than the singular quality of leadership to master them.

A positive outlook is a student’s best weapon. It’s takes a bit of experience to understand just how important this is for a college student. College will test a student’s resolve. It is not uncommon to see students falter, change majors, or even drop out altogether after expecting to be successful. Others will list intelligence, persistence, dedication, etc. as top of the list priorities to dodge this fate. However, at the cost of belittling these adjectives, optimism can make the difference between a successful college student and an early dropout. There will be trying times as an undergraduate or graduate. This is the first bout of real freedom most people get in their lives. What comes of that freedom is not an opportunity to become superior to others, but to become the best of oneself. It is important to not let doubt overcome your optimism.

Instead of being vetted for leadership, students are being tried for criteria that is important for the school system. Students compete for grades. Not against one another directly, but more against the collective pressure of the class as a whole. A score that is below average could immediately set a student spinning into panic mode. Only the optimist will quite those fears and diligently pull themselves up from it. The confidence in oneself is what earned that small success. Build upon the rise and falls, the monetary wins and loses will strengthen that ability to shake things off and keep looking upwards. Whether someone has a dominating personality or not, it takes a person with self-reflection to attain these types of college success.

It is important to note the role that the student plays in college. As a learning environment students look up to the leaders around them. The professors, faculty, advisors, and coaches present the real world experience that they hope students will emulate. To be a leader means to have the wisdom and experience to know how to be in charge. There are few college students that have those criteria on their resume, let alone a resume at all. Among their peers the most appropriate thing a college student can do is bend their ear and listen to the adults around them. They will be more successful cooperating with their classmates than trying to better them. Group projects, homework help, party invitations, dates, or living as roommates are all scenarios that bring people together. These scenarios traditionally run more smoothly when all parties are treated as equals. It makes more sense, therefore, to be a successful listener as a student. Being attentive to others around you will help reap many more benefits than being the parayeah looking to lead.

College is a transformative time. Teenagers are expected to mature into young adults ready to face the workforce with new skill sets. It will be no picnic. There will be times when resolve will weaken, outlooks seem bleak, and confidence is shaken. Only when these tests are presented does the opportunity to overcome them arise. What is the best way to face these challenges? Move forward optimistically and be observant of your environment. For those college students who want to be successful giving up will not be an option. It will require the strength to keep thinking positively and the attention to detail to avoid mistakes. You work hard to put yourself through college successfully by affirming that you will not dwell on the negatives.