Choices

College is filled with choices: what to major in, which classes to take, what career path to follow. One of the most common observations students make about the difference between high school and college is the amount of freedom they now enjoy. Even if you still have a curfew or household obligations, chances are that you are making many of your own decisions now, like whether to go to class, whether to keep up with your reading, whether to complete assignments on time. Each of these choices—large and small—will have significant consequences in your college experience.

 There are other choices that students make that maybe they don’t think about at the time they are making the decision. Many of these decision also have an impact on their success in college.

    * Students choose to be bored. Students often complain about their “boring” teachers or their “boring” classes, claiming that if the class weren’t so “boring,” they would be doing well. Consider the situation: Are you bored because you did not complete the assigned readings and therefore cannot fully follow the course lecture or assignment? Are you bored because you have not taken the time to consider the connection between your coursework and your long-term goals? Are you bored as an excuse not to do well in a challenging course? Are you bored because you are uncertain about what interests you and therefore you aren’t connecting to the material?

 * Students choose to be “lazy.” No one is really “lazy” by nature. Calling yourself “lazy” is an excuse not to get your work done. When we feel like being “lazy,” often we are tired, overwhelmed, or avoiding the risk of failure. When you choose not to complete an assignment, think about why you are making that choice. Revisit your reasons for wanting to attend college and ask yourself if the choice you are making supports those reasons or goals.