The lessons that I learned from my active participation in college are many, and I could probably write a small book, or at least dedicate this blog to them. Instead, here are five transferable attributes that I learned in college.
There’s absolutely no such thing as “college material.”
I’ve sometimes heard the phrase “she/he isn’t really college material.” Really? Nothing could be more inappropriate or discouraging to an individual who is pursuing college. I still don’t know what these people’s definition of “college material,” is. It’s possible that if somebody told me at age 18 that I wasn’t “college material,” I might have believed them. I wasn’t the strongest or most dedicated student in high school; making honor role a few times, and just barely maintaining a GPA of 3.0 at the time of my high school graduation. My parents for the most part, chose to let me make my own decisions regarding higher education. So, I enrolled at a community college, and tested into the lowest level of classes offered, and worked my way up. Six years, two colleges, and a constant drive to finish concluded my undergraduate education. There’s really no such thing as “college material.” If an individual thinks she or he can do it, and they are willing to put in the effort, anybody can be successful in college. Even if you aren’t the strongest academic, or are a first-generation student like myself. If you want it, go for it; and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise!
multitasking
Who says guys can’t multitask? Apart from my first year of college, I attended school full-time, and worked part time, and I worked every type of shift: day, swing, graveyard, and weekends. I learned to work under deadline, and manage competing priorities. Research papers and work reports were often done side by side, and almost any physical space could be turned into a makeshift office or study space.
If Done Correctly, the 9-5, Mon-Fri work week Doesn’t Exist in College.
In the roughly seven years it took for me to earn my Bachelors Degree, I can count on one hand how many weekends I wasn’t either studying or working. Unlike the stereotypical image of a young 20 something rolling out of bed late on a Monday morning after an action-packed weekend of epic partying and binge drinking, myself and many other college students find ourselves working, studying, and keeping up in classes. Yeah, my weekends were action-packed alright, packed with homework assignments and a job. Perhaps the 24-7, always-conected mentality of modern western society places less emphasis on down time, and more expectations on an individual to produce more. As hard as it was, I’ve learned to own my goals, and accomplish the required tasks to reach them.
Creativity, Flexibility, and Adaptability
Sometimes the answer to an assignment, or the solution to a problem (academic or other) isn’t always obvious. As a result, I learned to view creativity as an asset. Mastering academic subjects non-visually isn’t always the easiest task, and sometimes the conditions for learning aren’t ideal. Being creative, flexible, and adaptive are a must for overcoming challenges and breaking down learning barriers. No matter how sophisticated, technology will fail at some point; electronic learning options may simply not be accessible; or course concepts may not be presented in a way that gyves with your learning style. My success in several classes during my undergraduate career was contingent upon my ability to find a solution to one or multiple problems, and to do it quickly. Sometimes the lowest tech solutions were the answers to the highest priority problems. For example, I didn’t have access to diagrams and graphs for use in a Micro Economics class. My solution? Raised lined graph paper, and several strands of wax-covered yarn, called Wiki Sticks. I think they are intended for craft projects, but they sure helped me to understand the concepts of marginal utility, supply, demand, price points, and many others.
Social Savvy
During my time in college, I interacted with a lot of people: professors, disability support staff, teacher’s assistants, supervisors and co-workers, classmates, roommates, and social service professionals. Every 11 weeks, I introduced myself to new professors, classmates, and depending on the course, a teacher’s assistant or two. All of this interaction gave me a lot of experience in a variety of social settings, and uncovered my interest in public relations.
There is often a stereotype or stigma (they are two different concepts) that accompany a person with a visual impairment. Not wanting to be the only guy on campus who went through his entire degree program knowing none of his classmates, I made it a point to meet and get to know at least three of my classmates in each of my classes. The advantages of getting to know your classmates are many. I made friends, knew more people in my degree program, and found it pretty easy to collaborate with classmates on group work.
The Moral of the Story?
There’s no such thing as college and the real world, rather college is one part of the real world, and there’s a lot of positive, transferable skills that can be learned in an academic setting. If you have any interest in attending college, go for it!! Don’t let anybody hold you back, explore your options, and settle on a school that works for you. If you want it bad, and you are willing to work for it, anybody can obtain a college education.
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