Success in College from Leadership Skills by Sandy

Success in College from Leadership Skills by Sandy - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

Many students look at going to college as an escape from home, their parents’ supervision, old friends, and the city or town itself. They also fantasize about their days at college being exciting, and nothing like high school. College is the place where this can all happen, but it is also where these same people plan to be successful and make a name for themselves. College is not cheap, and when thousands of dollars are put into it, many do not want their money to be put to waste. If a person is to be successful in college, they must possess leadership skills. Having the necessary leadership skills will enable the student to overcome and succeed in certain situations.

In college, most students will be thrown into a new environment, full of new people. In order to get along well, and make new acquaintances, it would be very helpful to have good people skills, a skill many good leaders have. Possessing these skills will allow a person to communicate, discuss, and give constructive feedback to those around them in a way that will come across likable, and not bossy or offensive. Since it is not realistic to say that in your college years, you will lock yourself up, away from society, it will be useful to have these skills. It is also very unlikely that everyone can escape the dreaded group projects or presentations. For those who never really contribute to these projects, they may enjoy the free ride to a passing grade. On the other hand, for the person who does everyone else’s share of work, they can get tired of this sort of person. Possessing leadership skills can help a person to overcome these situations. Being able to take charge when necessary will give the group a leader, a person they can look up to, or depend on, when they have questions. Having a leader will bring organization and communication to a group, allowing the workforce to work together smoothly. If one person starts to communicate and show the group as a whole how to complete the task, their drive and enthusiasm will rub off onto the others. Not only should you be giving directions, but being a good listener is another leadership skill that will be very useful. Listening to others will open your mind and eyes to seeing problems in a way you may not have looked at them before.

Leadership skills are not only useful when it comes to a person’s grades, but also in creating that successful, dream college life a person wants. No one wants to be stressed out, trying to balance social life with college life. If this is to be avoided, people should first “lead” themselves. Take charge of your own life and decisions, as these can determine what comes next on the road ahead. Use strategic thinking and take action. Visualize where you want to be, or how you want something to turn out, and then make the necessary moves in order to achieve it. It is one thing to want to ace a test, but to make it happen will take some planning to manage everything so you can make time to study and practice. Knowing what decisions are important, and how to go about making a final decision is also very important. When you are practically in charge of yourself, there will be many more responsibilities to take care of, and this means making decisions that could impact you, or others around you, greatly. Once again, college can be whatever you choose it to be, so making correct decisions is important in this aspect of your college life.

Even if a person does not possess all the leadership skills found in a great leader, having any of the ones listed will take you a long way in college. Success is defined very different with every person, and so depending on your definition of it, the skills you possess, or do not possess, will be determined. Whether you want to be successful socially in college, or academically, leadership skills are a must. When asked if leadership skills are needed to be successful in college, it is indeed needed.