How To Be Successful at a Large University
Success: “The accomplishment of an aim or purpose” (Merriam-Webster). Success is what every person should strive to reach every day. It is the backbone and motivator for all of our wants and needs. Achieving success in college requires hard work and a little bit of knowledge about how to beat the system. The university system differs from high school in a plethora of ways. You don’t have the same classes every day, there are up to 500 students in your classes, there is no mandatory attendance, and your grade can be based on your performance on one or two tests. If you just graduated from high school and are about to begin college, or are already in college and have a newfound resolve for success, read on to discover how to be successful at a large university.
1. Define your success. What are you looking to get out of college? Is this just the next step in your educational journey? Do you plan on using it as a stepping stone to a particular job or graduate program? Do you just want to have fun? Knowing what you want to get out of college before you begin is important. Perhaps you want to make a difference on campus and run for a position on student government. If you want a strong sense of fulfillment, giving back to the community and volunteering can get you there. I was recruited at UCLA to play baseball, so my goal was to be as successful as I could in the classroom and on the field.
