The "X" Factor - The Sinews of Excellence: Success is a Choice

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There are dozens of books and hundreds of articles on academic success. Some are serious with elaborate time charts and formulae for taking notes. Others are gimmicky. They provide numerous "short-cuts" on, for example, how to beat the system. Both are useless. Few students buy these books, fewer still read them. Let me instead provide some simple guidelines, which will contribute to good education as well as good grades.

Promethean Labor. College is a full time job. If you must work, try not to exceed 20 hours a week. If you work full time, your grades will probably suffer. Two full-time jobs are exhausting. A student who takes 5 three-credit courses spends about 16 hours a week in the classroom. That should translate into 48 hours of homework assignments and studying. This amounts to a 64-hour "work" week. Very heavy. If you must work 40 hours a week, take a lighter course load. Four courses rather than five makes sense.

How long must you study? The rule of thumb is two hours of study for every hour in class. My experience is three hours of study is closer to the mark. Most high school students will -- at a minimum -- have to double the study time they spent in high school. Procrastination and laziness are mortal enemies of academic success. Watching television is deadly. It turns your mind into pablum. A Carnegie Foundation study reported that 22% of college students spend more than nine hours a week watching television. Too much.

Best major? The best major for most first-year students is often "undeclared" (no major). It is too early to decide. Colleges offer many new and different fields of study. Students frequently change their majors. They discover political science, plasma physics, or bio-medical engineering. High school curricula, as a rule, do not cover such a wide number and variety of subjects. A rookie error, then, may be to declare a major too quickly.

Parents may be a part of the problem. It is not infrequent that parents (who are paying the freight) insist that you become a "business" major. Understandably, they want you to be able to earn a living after graduation. "Business" may not be a wise choice. Why? The economic world is global. New technologies are exploding into the market place. Competition for high paying (non-service) jobs is fierce. Peter Drucker, an internationally famous management expert, refers to the "knowledge" society. Who knows the latest and best ways to analyze vast amounts of data? Which college graduates have the versatility and flexibility to adapt to new technologies? Breadth of education permits graduates to keep up with market changes.

So what is the best major? There is, of course, no answer to that question. However, the one that sparks your interest is an excellent place to start. Liking a subject propels students to work harder. They enjoy the challenge. When to decide? Probably after a student's first year, but definitely after the second. Exceptions are students interested in "pre-med," "pre-vet" or "pre-dent." These students must often declare their intended major immediately and follow a rigorous science curriculum. Yet colleges differ widely. Ask an academic advisor, faculty member, and read a current catalogue.

College graduates may change jobs -- even careers -- two or three times during a 40-year work life. Flexibility, learning new skills, and adaptability are central. The "smart" student entering college, no matter what major, will take several courses in each of the following areas:

• Writing and writing intensive courses. Students should take several writing courses. Writing sharpens your thinking skills. It forces you to think clearly. Both graduate schools and future employers put a heavy premium on the ability to write. Employers frequently complain that college graduates lack the requisite writing skills. Indeed, corporations are now offering their own college classes, in house, that prepare new employees for the tasks ahead. Further, students learn to write by writing. One of the wonders of teaching is to see students over a rigorous semester (and certainly over their college careers) improve their writing dramatically.
• Analytical courses. Students should try to take courses that also sharpen their thinking skills. Computer literacy is essential for today's job market, as are courses in logic, statistics, mathematics and econometrics. Further, courses in research methods will prove to be very useful. Learning to study a problem, and collecting and analyzing data will increase a student's marketability.
• International courses. These would include world politics, international relations, world religions, and international trade. Foreign language courses might also increase a student's marketability. For the bold, overseas study would introduce a student to the language and culture of another country.
• Interpersonal skills. Courses in personnel management, public speaking, and management come to mind. Interdisciplinary breadth is important. Leadership skills are highly rewarded. These skills can be developed not only by taking classes but also from work experience or co-curricular activity. For example, developing a budget for a club, planning a foreign film festival, or organizing a fundraiser for a charity all add to making a student a more attractive candidate for a job interview. An important dimension of leadership that may be overlooked is service to the college or community. Charitable work, for example, volunteering to help collect money for the homeless, makes a statement about values. This is especially noteworthy if there is a pattern of "giving back" to society or helping the helpless. Countless students are interested only in their own earning power and careers. Few are committed to helping their fellow man.

Students who take a large selection of the above courses will be much more competitive in the job market than those who don't. The key is to make a resume look distinctive. It should stand out and impress a potential employer. A student must get to the interview stage in order to receive a job offer. Equally important, the courses discussed give an applicant the resilience, flexibility, and knowledge to be competitive.

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