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Best 5 Ideas for Successful College Students

by Chetna Vasishth

We have shared many articles on how to get scholarships and admissions and even how to study and make notes. But the question is, what makes a truly successful student. What is special about students who make it in all areas of their life and succeed seemingly effortlessly.

In this article we are going to cover the top 5 ideas for college students to make YOU a successful student. So, I call this list SNICK – because it will help you just snick past your competition

  1. (S) Start something

Start a blog, a comedy group, a conference, a club, or even a business this year! There are three main reasons why I believe that college is an ideal time to start something:

    1. First: You will leave a legacy. It is rewarding to know that something you created may continue to be enjoyed by future batches and add to the campus culture once you’ve graduated.
    2. Second: You will learn project management. Managing people and completing tasks is no easy feat, and if you can get this experience in college, you’ll be a stronger leader in your first job or internship.
    3. Third: you never know where that takes you – many successful companies started out in college dorm rooms.

So, you’re probably thinking, how can I just get up and start something new. I don’t even have the skills for it. A great way to acquire the skills is through volunteer work – You can do volunteer work in NGO’s or other community development groups

  1. (N) Networking with peers and professors

Make it a point to develop a relationship with a professor you respect. Just like a sports person needs a good coach to compete professionally, similarly you require a mentor. And a professor could be a great mentor who might lead you to something that will change the course of your entire career.

That means talking to them after class about courses, research projects, and internships. Your efforts will pay off with personalized letters of recommendation possible introductions to potential employers, interesting research or consulting projects and invaluable guidance.

Also, networking helps us overcome our fears of communication. So, communicate with peers, from various departments at college. We all love our bunch of friends and want to spend all our free time with the same people. I totally understand how important that is, since college is the time when some long-lasting friendships are built. But I suggest that you have ONE single conversation each day with someone outside of your close group of friends and you never know where that takes you.

  1. (I) Internships:

College is the time where you should figure out what you love doing, and what you don’t love doing. It is also the time to learn what you are good at, and what you are bad at. Try different types of jobs in college and outside college so that you become sure of what you would like to do after you graduate. You can look for internships through online platforms, career fairs on campus or through references from your professors.  Try a mix, work for a start-up once, another time for a large company and once do a research project with a professor or volunteer one summer. Experimentation is the key.

  1. (C) Conferences:

I wish I could go back to college and attend amazing youth conferences. These are not only great opportunities to network, but they are also fun and full of learning and help you to make so many new friends. And in addition, look for an opportunity to address a large group of people either in a conference, or at a college event. Use this time to overcome your fear of public speaking before you enter the corporate world.

  1. (K) Keep Learning

College is the best time to acquire practical skills. Yes, it is important to study, work hard, and do online courses for curriculum-based work. But I recommend taking up some offline courses which are practical and useful. There are several offline courses on interesting topics like Personal Branding, Digital Marketing Strategies, Emotional Intelligence, Interview Skills etc. These courses once again give you the opportunity to network and learn and prepare you for a successful career.

You can also keep up your learning by listening to podcasts and reading books across the spectrum on various topics.

  1. And finally take up some adventures and at least one bag packing experience on a shoe string budget where you learn to live on your own in unfamiliar environments, take a semester to study abroad if you have that opportunity.

Remember, college is a special time, so make the most of it

Link to the video –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cH4vIeGyg8&list=PLB5ECDeclpYo2DkPt1F_HGlfWWJrKnKt3

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