By Lt. Col. Ralph Gracia USAF Ret.
Guest Columnist
In this edition, I will share how leadership strategies are important to achieving success in college and life. College can be an intimidating adjustment for any person. Classes are much more challenging, and they require more effort than in high school. Also due to the pandemic, students face new and unique challenges. These challenges, along with the combination of old, unhealthy habits, can hinder the academic success of new college students. We must have steadfast leadership to deal with the nuances in today’s academics. Therefore, the most important attitude, behavior, and beliefs necessary to ensure academic success are accepting personal responsibility and utilizing self-management tools.
Accepting personal responsibility is one of the most crucial and pivotal attitudes that students must learn to achieve success in college and life. In the words of Oprah Winfrey, “I do think that the greatest lesson of life is that you are responsible for your own life.” Students must take ownership of their mistakes and learn from the experience. Blaming others for downfalls or misfortunes is not what leaders do. In fact, it is the opposite. Leaders implement wise choices to create logical solutions to correct issues, and in turn, have productive outcomes.
College students who develop a self-management strategy can create a concrete schedule and organize time more efficiently. Some of these strategies and techniques can include weekly or monthly calendars, a next action list, and a tracking form. These are all techniques I share and teach in my classes. Having students implement these into their academic life will get them organized and on the right track. Implementing these self-management strategies has proved beneficial for students to be more organized and an effective method of self-management. Mastering self-management ensures students do not lose sight of the tasks. It will eliminate procrastination and keep you on course. Further, this will lead to a more structured and dedicated college life.
In these recent times of turbulence, students are facing new challenges. Students can carry victim habits that could hinder their chances to set sights on a successful career. Acknowledging these habits and taking a conscious effort to change will lead to a successful future in college and beyond. For that reason, students must accept personal responsibility for their education, career, and life. The journey can be rigorous, but with discipline and hard work, anything is possible! In the end, set your sights perfectly by carrying out a plan and staying focused on college, career, and beyond.