Summertime Thoughts

For most of you reading this you've just finished up another semester or maybe even your first; congratulations! What an accomplishment to finish out what you started back in January! Myself, I've finally graduated. I received some due "congratulations" but I've also received a comment or two along the lines of wow (!) you've finally graduated. I really hated hearing that from some of my former college friends. It always translates, "You didn't finish in time. I started after and finished before you did." For those who are on track to finish in four years and did well this semester I again congratulate you. Others of you, this post is for you!

First, on one hand - for the sake of getting on with your life - you should strive to finish in four years. On the other, it's okay to have a few setbacks and finish in more than four years. In fact, the average undergraduate takes five to six years to finish (54% as this article highlights). The mere fact that you're deciding to continue is an accomplishment in and of itself. Just remember that it's okay to not finish in four years, you are normal for and you'll be okay after failing and not finishing "on time."

Second, you should make a decision whether to continue or not. Times are changing and for some careers and/or small business ventures you just don't need an undergraduate degree but, rather, a strong work ethic. However, other careers do require a degree and you should thoroughly investigate both possibilities. In other words, don't keep going to college because everyone over 40 is telling you that you need to. Go because you need to or at the very least, want to.

Last, maybe you failed a class, or two . . . or three. Stop sulking and start planning. Pick yourself up, start planning and writing down what you need to change before next semester, and know that this too shall pass. Admit you have a problem and read everything you possibly can to educate yourself on how you can change. "No one plans to fail, they simply fail to plan!"

I'm here on the other side of the finish line - after a full seven years of college - to let you know that you're going to be okay. You'll make it through this set back and you will succeed if you keep working on being better at whatever you do. I'm a living testament: I have a great job, a great car, a roof over my head, and food on the table all because I didn't let my past failures define my future actions.

Review:

1. Congratulations on finishing the semester. Now enjoy your summer break!
2. Strive to finish "on time" but realize that life will be okay if you don't.
3. Ask yourself if college is where you need to be. 
• Does what you want to do in life require a degree?
4. Start planning what you're going to do based on the answer to the above question
5. You will succeed as long as you keep on working hard. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. 

Identity Crisis

I would like to spend a quick bit addressing those who have expressed concern with my "identifying" as a failure. In short, I don't see myself as a failure. I have appreciated the encouraging words but I assure you this blog is not intended to display post after post about how I'm a failure at college but rather as a sort of beacon to those making the journey through college. A beacon that screams, "HEY DON'T DO THESE THINGS THAT I DID!" A beacon that says, "Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. So please don't go there, don't do that, and certainly don't get the t-shirt!" For example, just like Dave Ramsey (please forgive my Dave infatuation) went bankrupt, changed his actions, started teaching people what and what not to do, and is now a huge success; I've gone "bankrupt" with classes, I'm changing my actions, I'm teaching people what and what not to do , and I will be a huge success. Now that my intentions are cleared up, I've resolved to change the blog's name from The College Failure to The College Beacon.

Nothing is Getting Done if You're Done at Getting

I'm embarking on what could potentially be my first book. Jonathan, why would you want to write a book about failure in college? First, I'm currently finishing up my 6th year and going for another round. Thus, second, I'm a valid source. And last, it feels good to be honest and open. The purpose is to sort of teach the things NOT to do. Like Dave Ramsey, I'm not teaching you anything you don't already know, I'm just helping you realize that these things (like debt) do in fact prove detrimental if you don't avoid them at all costs.
Shouldn't I take advice from someone who is succeeding in college? You should do both. Think about robbing a bank. You would definitely want to learn from someone who succeeded but you'd also want to learn a few things to avoid from the guy who royally screwed up his "perfect plan" for robbing a bank. I'm definitely the latter example.
Finally, I wish I could tell you that I went from college failure to college success but the fact of the matter is that I am in the process of figuring it all out and I hope you'll realize that sometimes the journey in between has better insight than the story after.
With that said, here's my first bit of advice. DO NOT MISS CLASSES. I don't care whether or not your university or professor has a class attendance policy. I could care less if your professor tells you that you have 3 classes before absences start counting against you (I'm convinced this sort of thing was made to give students a false sense of security). And I certainly don't care if you have a boring professor. Your excuses sound like a fork scraping against someone's teeth. If there is one thing I wish I could go back and change, it is missing classes. So suck it up kid and get to class.
This bit of advice has two subpoints of advice:

• Avoid enrolling in classes that aren't  during your "peak hours" - If you're not a morning person I better not hear about you registering for some 8 o'clock. That's definitely making a HUGE deposit into the Stupid Bank with -1.5% interest. However, I'm also not saying that if you're a night person to register for night classes (that's for grown folk), instead just register for classes that come later in the day.  
• Don't lie to yourself and say, I'm young bro! I can stay up through the wee hours of the morning and still get to classes. That one time, turns into 3 times, and those 3 times turn into too many times. Next thing you know, you're in a detrimental cycle of a game called "sleep catch-up." You might be getting to classes but your cognition is going to be slower than molasses rolling down a plank of wood in the middle of January. In other words, get adequate sleep and save yourself the stress of getting up in time for class. 

That does it for Lesson 1. Now here's the hardest part. Apply this to your life starting now. Nothing is getting done if you're done at getting.