Finishing College

Perseverance – if one characteristic could propel us along in life, this would be it. It just means keep going. Don’t stop. Or, if you do, start back up again. 120 credits is the goal.

The importance of finishing college is documented in many places, including here. I assume that you want to finish college, so I will not add anything to the importance of the goal in this post.

Here’s what you need to do:
• Shore up your foundations. If you struggle with math or reading, this will hinder your efforts to get through courses at the college level. Visit Barnes & Noble and take a look at the education section. Get a book on seventh grade math [Singapore Math is a great place to start.] If you struggle with reading, find a book that is for children or adolescents – a classic would do much better than some vampire book. The point is that if K-12 education or your parents have failed you, you need to make up what you did not get in third, seventh, or tenth grade. College professors are not trained to teach you K-12 skills; most likely, they are also not wired to do that. There are remedial courses in college, but you can save yourself time and money by doing this on your own in addition to whatever the college provides for you.
• Do not quit. If you have to take a break due to life circumstances, get back in the game. If you already have 30 credits, you are 25% of the way there. 90 credits to go. If you need to, take only one three-credit class per semester…but keep adding up the credits.
• Stay at the same school. Transferring credits is unpleasant and staying in one place will allow you to get to the goal faster. If you do transfer, transfer to a school that will accept most of your credits.
• Find professors you trust and ask for their help. Professors may seem intimidating; but, very often, they can be helpful and provide more encouragement than a blog can give…not to mention that professors can give you specific advice for the college you are at and the major you are studying.
• Remember why you are doing this. Just click on the link at the top of the page and remind yourself of the growing economic gulf between college and high school graduates.

Although this post is specific to graduating college, perseverance helps with any goal. For a more in-depth reading, see Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence and Henry Cloud’s 9 Things You Must Do to Succeed in Love and Life, especially the chapter on the ants. What is one goal towards which you are working?