Subjective Success in the Collegiate World by Sara

Subjective Success in the Collegiate World by Sara - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

I have always thought of a successful college career as a very subjective idea. From one person to another, the idea of a “successful collegiate career” changes dramatically. With that in mind, I believe most people do agree on learning about one’s self as being a critical part of success in college. So, perhaps that is the universal idea of a successful college experience: understanding and learning about yourself.

Leadership skills are easily just as—if not, even more—subjective than the idea of a successful college experience. The term “leadership skills” can cover anything from the ability to delegate to deductive reasoning to time management and having a good sense of humor. Although not every leadership skill is a necessity when it comes to collegiate success (in terms of understanding and learning about one’s self), remaining open-minded, a curious intelligence, and the ability to be aware of personal strengths and weaknesses are paramount. These four skills are by far the most important when it comes to success—not simply in the college atmosphere, but in the outside world as well.

Keeping an open mind is extremely important for success—this is how one learns to be creative and think differently. Why would a student bother going to class and trying to learn if he or she is only set on a specific way of thinking or one world view? One can only think critically when he or she understands that having an open mind is necessary to learn—the same way one learns about himself or herself. Self discovery can only occur when one is open to really understanding and truly learning about his or her own beliefs, ideas, frustrations, and curiosities.

This also goes along with the fact that the most successful students are forever curious. The ones who thrive in college are the ones who keep asking questions—the ones who want to learn everything about everything, even if this curiosity is only limited to a specific field. Curiosity is what fuels the academic world—it’s what made Benjamin Franklin create bifocals and change the world with a kite; it led Shakespeare to pen masterpiece after masterpiece about foreign countries and majestic forests; curiosity led to modern medicine and international relations. If a student is not curious of the world around him or her, success will be limited to grades and a few semesters worth of lectures. If students remain curious, self-discovery and understanding will be almost effortless.

With this self-discovery comes the awareness of strength and weakness. Personally, I find this to be the most important part of a successful college experience. Could I have tried to major in physics? Sure. Could I have been curious about the subject and asked questions? Of course. Would it have helped my terrible understanding of physics? Probably not. If I had decided to pursue physics, my college experience would have been extremely different—and, most likely, destined for failure. My strengths are in literature and creative writing—those are what I enjoy and where I excel. It is immensely important to understand one’s own strengths and weaknesses—to learn how to maximize one while minimizing the other. When this realization hits, students not only understand themselves, but are also more aware of their places in the world around them.

In short, yes, leadership skills are necessary when it comes to having a successful college career. However, many of the variables in that equation are subjective. My idea of success compared to my brother’s idea, or my friend’s idea, the president’s idea, or even your idea—these are all different, as are the skills that lead to those ideas of success. Personally, I find the most important skills in the collegiate environment to be keeping an open mind, curiosity, and understanding personal strengths and weaknesses—those skills are what help students grow and become successful.