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Realize the possibilities.

Too many people go through life hating their jobs, never realizing their potential, and never following any of their dreams. As a college student, though, you are taking vital steps toward doing something that you really want to do, even if you are not yet sure of what this might be. It is so important to realize the possibilities and the choices in front of you. Instead of wandering from boring job to boring job and living an unfulfilled life, you can, to a large extent, determine your future and do what you love. Of course, you are likely to be disappointed if your ambition is to be the President of the United States or an Oscar-winning actor, but a college education can take you into a career that you really care about: marine-biologist, writer, teacher, veterinarian, lawyer, entrepreneur, computer specialist, whatever. The choice is yours, and it's important to realize that. Think of how many people do not have these choices or do not realize that they do. You only live once, and a college education can help you make the most out of your life.

Realize that a successful college career requires hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.

Nothing worth while is easy, as the old saying goes, and this certainly is true of a college education. A successful college career requires years of hard work, and you can't expect to be a success without devotion and sacrifice. This is an unpleasant metaphor, but college is a sort of "weeding" process. People get good jobs in part because of how well they have proved themselves through their hard work and dedication in college. They have demonstrated that they have what it takes to succeed. Many people begin college but do not succeed at it. There are a limited number of good jobs out there, and college helps "weed out" the people who are unlikely ever to get those jobs. I firmly believe that most people can be successful in college and that the amount of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice is what separates those who are successful from those who are not. Make your education a top priority.

Don't defeat yourself.

As just about anyone who has earned a college degree can tell you, there will be moments when you don't think you can do it, moments when you doubt your ability to succeed. This is normal, but don't let the doubts themselves defeat you. I remember vividly such moments myself, when a course seemed too hard, when the work ahead of me seemed like too much, but then I decided that if I was going to be "defeated" by something, I was at least going to give it my best effort. If a college course was too much for me, so be it, but I was not going to let my doubts defeat me. I did not want to live with the lingering idea that I did not succeed at something because I did not even give myself a fair chance to succeed. We can't be successful at everything, and you might face challenges that are too much for you (at the time), but don't work against yourself and let your doubts defeat you.

• Give Yourself a Reasonable Workload.
• Realize the difference between bad excuses and good excuses.
• If you are absent from a class, never ask your instructor, "Did I miss anything?"
• Do not expect less work in your courses because you are busy.

1. Do not assume that your instructor should make exceptions just for you.
2. Turn off your cell phones while in class.
3. Realize the possibilities.
4. Realize that a successful college career requires hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.
5. Don't defeat yourself.