Réussir. This is one of my favorite words in French. Although it has several translations, “réussir” usually means to succeed at doing something. But what exactly is success? To be successful in college, students are supposed to earn high grades and stay involved in their college community. Also, although money is not necessary for success, having some spending money keeps students from being left out of activities and lets them thrive socially. But what about when students do not fit this mold for success? Can they still feel successful?
These questions swarmed through my mind as I experienced several disappointments this semester. I did not do as well as I had hoped on one of my first papers, I was let go from my new job, and I did not make it into many of the dances I tried out for in a dance club. These experiences weighed me down for a little while. However, adjusting my viewpoint has helped me to overcome my self-doubt. I now see there are several other ways you can be successful academically, financially and socially in college.
In school, you can be successful by truly learning in your classes, not just by memorizing whatever is going to be on the tests and forgetting the information afterwards. While taking time to learn the material may be reflected in your grades, sometimes it may not. There are certain classes that — no matter how much you may study — go to office hours or receive tutoring, you cannot earn an A. Nevertheless, these are hard-earned grades you should be proud of, not beat yourself up over.
By looking at academic success in a different light, I feel more confident about the classes I am currently taking for my majors. Though I am not getting an A on every assignment, I truly enjoy the material and am trying my best to learn it. While I earned As in several classes last year, I essentially threw out the information I learned after my tests. Now, by keeping up with my readings and paying active attention in my major classes, I am able to fully comprehend and explain to others what I am learning.
When dealing with finances, being on a tight budget can help you become more disciplined, whether or not you have a job. You can only buy what you need and only a few of what you want, forcing you to control rewarding yourself. This certainly can be hard in college with its wide availability of treats — Starbucks, cookies, pizza and so on. Buying these treats every so often or when you truly deserve it not only makes them even more rewarding but also makes you feel financially successful.
While financial control is a skill I still need to work on, I have become more disciplined this semester by creating a budget for myself. This not only includes my actual money but also my Plus Dollars. Though I would love to buy myself specialty coffees every day, it is more rewarding to have them only a few times a week. It also prevents me from spending my actual money too quickly and from running out of Plus Dollars before the end of the semester. I now feel financially successful not when I have a lot of money in my bank account but when I am able to stick to my budget.
Finally, you can be socially successful by making time for yourself and your friends. While it is valuable to be involved in clubs and organizations, it is not healthy to be busy all the time. You cannot get your much-needed rest when after classes end you have multiple activities and hours of homework. You also need time to hang out with your friends, as well as time to get to know new friends. Although this can be difficult with the pressures of college, socially successful students are able to evenly distribute their time among the U.Va. community, their friends and themselves.
Even though I am still working on adequately managing my time, I have felt more socially successful this semester. Because I do not have as many time commitments as last semester, I am able to make more time for my friends. This not only enables me to grow closer to them but also to help and support them when they have problems. I still seek to become more involved in the U.Va. community; however, I now aim to keep my friends and myself in mind as I take on more commitments.
Success in college does not have to fit the norm. Learning is more important than getting high grades, being disciplined with your finances is more important than having a lot of money, and having time for rest and for friends is more important than being involved in multiple organizations. Therefore, I encourage all students to look at success in this new way when they feel they are not succeeding, even when trying their best. Even in times of failure in one part of your life, “réussir” in another is truly finding success.
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