Where did you go to school?
 
What did you study?
When was the last time you had to answer these questions? How relevant are those decisions in the life you lead today?
They might be critical or they might not.
This week I’ve been touring colleges here in the US for my son, who is off to college in the Fall and for my daughter who is a junior, one more year at home!
As we walk around these schools, eloquent student tour guides giving us the grand experience of their school, I can’t help but think how are schools preparing our children to succeed in the world?
How does a bigger, better, grander building or more expensive education have to do with my child’s success in life?
Don’t get me wrong. EDUCATION MATTERS!
And as a family we are going to be investing in our children… but how much of their success will depend on these institutions?
Here are three things I’m learning as I tour these schools. I’ve actually heard these tips shared by each one of the tour guides:
  • Knock on doors: Each one of the schools we visited pride themselves on the student/professor ratio, their personalized approach and the way they get to know their students… but then they all say… the best way to ensure you get great opportunities is to knock on doors. Be the student that calls the professor, inquires about internships, knocks on doors and volunteer for research projects. Don’t wait for the opportunity to come to you, go find it!
  • Get Involved: One of the challenges for students today is that they are committing to expensive educations without a clear IDEA of who they want to be when they grow up. There are many ways to find the answer to this question but, for any stage in our lives, the best way to learn about what we like and what we don’t like is to try it out! To get involved, volunteer, test assumptions, join communities and working groups. The best way to find out our path is to start walking.
  • Practice Self Care: Each one of the schools touched on the importance of self-care. We toured their gyms, the dining halls and they talked about the health food options. The fact that they spent so much time on this issue reminded me that there is no learning without self-care. There is no success without self-care. We need to care and nurture our bodies so that they can perform at their peak. So we can realize our full potential.

Yes, I know, you are past the college age, you are well on your journey but sometimes we need to come back to basics and asks ourselves:

Who do I want to be when I grow up?

Start by knocking on doors and getting involved 😉

Have a great rest of your day,