Make It Happen: The Nitty Gritty of Student Success
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When asked to talk to a group of college students about student success I decided to focus on three areas: mindset, grit and audacity.
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Make It Happen: The Nitty Gritty of Student Success
Editor's Notes
- Welcome My name is Soyla Santos I’m an academic advisor with the University Advising Center I have received both my BFA and MFA from UTA I have worked here at UT Arlington for nearly 12 years with the goal of empowering students to succeed academically and beyond. I have comforted and challenged students, and I have witnessed many triumphs and defeats. If you want to know how to make success happen at UT Arlington, then you’re in the right place. Because I’m here to share the nitty-gritty of student success.
- My Dad’s favorite phrase is “Make it happen.” My Dad came from a big family. He is the middle child of 17 siblings. When he was a kid, he used to work in the cotton fields for 25 cents a day. He gave that money to his mother every day. When my parents divorced when I was teen I lived with my Dad But he would French braid our hair, buy feminine products, practice softball and more Without ever complaining and without us ever know how he knew how to do those things. He Made It Happen My Dad took a couple of college classes when I was in high school, But it wasn’t until I was in my junior year of college that he decided That I wasn’t going to graduate before him. He graduated with a BBA in Finance a semester before me. He Made It Happen. Growing up, there were many times I wanted to give up on things or I just didn’t want to do something because I didn’t see the point. It’s then I
- Mindset is the mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations. It is basically your life philosophy. In terms of academic success you have a couple choices. You can believe that your intelligence and talents are fixed- meaning that you can only learn so much. Or you can believe that your intelligence and talents can be developed with effort and persistence. The latter is know as Growth Mindset. Understanding and utilizing Growth Mindset is the first step in academic success.
- Consider this scenario. It’s Friday afternoon and your professor has just assigned a group project due on Monday. What is your first thought? Which one of these thought bubbles would you put over your head? Why did you choose fixed? Why did you choose growth?
- How can mindset influence academic success? Your mental preparedness also includes your mindset. When you apply Growth Mindset to your academics. You should think of yourself as a professional. A professional responds with maturity. Professionals use proper etiquette with professors, staff and peers. Professionals do not need outside motivation to learn; they are motivated by their own goals. Professionals develop strategies that work for them when they are struggling. They learn from their failures and thrive on challenges. This Growth mindset propels a student from good to great.
- Challenge yourself…see yourself succeeding.
- RU Darby Colorado, Gold Rush
- Start with a strong foundation: You have to be hardy…able to withstand difficulties You have to have courage…be able to be true to your convictions You have to have passion…feel strongly about what you are doing. Then you need optimism…to help you stay motivated You need creativity…to see the possibilities Finally, You must be committed…you have to follow through with your decisions. Commitment is the tipping point to greatness.
- You can see grit a lot in the art world. Take Thomas Kinkade for example. He is no Michelangelo, and there are many artists much greater than he is, but he pushed himself harder than others and was able to make a name for himself. They say that the early bird gets the worm, right? They don’t say the best bird gets the worm. Your work ethic is important.
- The elephant in the room is a major problem that is obviously present but avoided because it is more comfortable to do so. We all have excuses for why we don’t do things. Some of us blame others for why we can’t do things. And that is a big problem and a big obstacle to overcome to achieve success. When students come into advising with 1 million and 1 reasons why they received a poor grade But none of those reasons involve them as a student taking responsibility I am concerned.
- It’s not a straight shot either. It’s a series of small races one right after another.
- So, the best way to embrace GRIT is to know that you are adaptable
- You know how to shake it off. This is another lesson from my Dad.
- And you have zero excuses. This may not happen overnight, but it’s part of changing your mindset. You are in control of so much more than you think.
- Grit, make it happen.
- Audacity. To Boldy Go where no one has gone before
- Sometimes people assume that being audacious means that you have to live on the wild side of life. But that is not always the case. Consider the people in your life that you would consider audacious. They are the people that seem to be able to do everything They volunteer. They make straight As They have great relationships and seem to light up the room. They are audacious because they Challenge themselves. When others make excuses, they push forward They take risks, not to the extreme, but educated risks. They ask themselves, do I care what others think? And the answer is no. I’m going to answer the question in class whether I’m right or wrong. I’m going to volunteer at the Big Event even if I don’t know anyone else that is doing it. I can do things on my own. Most of All, being audacious is being above average. I don’t mean that in terms of grades. That is important But I mean in terms of setting goals for themselves.
- On 14 October 2012, Felix Baumgartner completed a free fall from 24 miles into the stratosphere. He became the first person to do so with any form of engine power. Now, that’s audacious. But he had to study to do this. He was a student first, and then he dove toward…that made him a learner. He had to actually experience the fall to truly understand