Introduction: Discover How YOU Can Succeed in College, and in Life

Sam, a college sophomore, sat in my Business Law class with his eyes cast downward. He yawned occasionally. Never really paying attention to the class discussion, he took no notes and chose not to participate. Even when called upon, he simply said: “I do not know.” Sam never spoke to others, either before or after class, an indication of possible shyness. This went on for a few classes. “Sam,” I said, “please come to my office.”

Sam arrived shortly after class. I invited Sam to sit down at the round table in my office.
“Sam, why are you here?” I asked. Sam looked perplexed. I became more specific, asking: “Sam, why are you here at college?”

To his credit, Sam sat and reflected. He then replied, “To get a good job.”

I asked, “Do you think you are on the path to getting a good job?”

Sam reflected again and then replied, “No. My grades are not too good. I’ll probably graduate with my college degree. But I don’t imagine many employers will take a look at me.”

I inquired, “Why is that, Sam? What are you lacking, other than good grades, which would deter you from finding a good job after you graduate?”

Sam hesitated. His face turned downward. After I while, he answered, “I’m really don’t think I’m all that attractive. I don’t socialize very much. I’m not great at math. I’m a poor writer.”

I leaned forward, waited until Sam looked at me in the eyes, and said: “Sam, great things happen in life to great people. Are you willing to become a great person?”

Sam replied, “I think so, but I don’t know if I can.”

Sam’s self-doubt was not unique. I had it observed it in many students before. “Sam, can you commit to give me an extra two to three hours a week of your time, for the next ten weeks. During this time you will be reading, completing some tasks, and in the process discovering all about yourself and your capabilities?”

Sam hesitated. “I think so.”

I looked Sam in the eye and made a proposal to him. “Let’s make a deal. If you give me twenty to thirty hours of your time, over the next ten weeks, I promise you that you will become a much better person and that you will learn the secrets to success. As a result, you will do much better in college.”

Sam and I shook hands. Then, he began his process of discovery. Over the next ten weeks we met weekly to review his progress and discuss what he was learning and how he was changing.

By the end of the semester Sam had completed the tasks I had provided for him. Over the next two years Sam and I continued to meet occasionally. While Sam encountered some challenges on his path toward graduation, he possessed newfound confidence and resilience in tackling those challenges.
 
At Sam’s graduation, I reflected as Sam crossed the stage to receive his diploma. Sam, once shy, had gained confidence and a positive attitude. He became more personable. He entered into deep, meaningful relationships with a host of new friends. He participated in a few clubs and organizations on campus and he acquired a leadership position in one of them. His grade point average had soared.

And Sam had secured a great first job in his industry, full of opportunity, with a large firm.

With Sam I had devised, each week, a set of undertakings for him to achieve. Over the past few years these exercises have been refined, and now I make them available to all of my students.

The rewards of this endeavor – to enable students to engage in self-reflection and personal development – flow to me as well. From Sam I received this hand-written thank you note toward the end of his ten-week journey:

• “Today, as a last entry into my gratitude journal for this assignment (I will keep writing in one in the future as well), I would like to say that I am grateful to have Dr. Rhoades as a professor this semester. Although he may not think of this as a ‘serious’ entry, I really have learned a lot about life in general from having him as a professor. He is a little less lenient than most professors but also expects your best effort and gives great tips to succeed. I have learned to follow my dreams, expand my comfort zone, network myself, have fun, and above all else work even harder in life, even more so after having him as my Business Law professor. I feel like it was destiny to be enrolled in his class. It turned out to be a great blessing that I ended up choosing to change my major to Business Administration because it put me into his classroom. Thank you for everything so far this semester Dr. Rhoades!”

The primary goal of these blog posts is to enable you to achieve greater success in all aspects of your college career, personal relationships, and business career. Use the practical knowledge and tools you will learn to propel yourself forward toward much greater success in all aspects of your life. It is all about your discovery of new concepts, ideals, and techniques to achieve success in all aspects of your life. Embrace these readings and projects with an open mind. Let your creative thoughts flow as you uncover new insights about yourself and your innate abilities.

While these blog posts contain explanations of many concepts for your reading pleasure, you will gain the most value if you complete the tasks and exercises set forth in each post. Many of these exercises will challenge you, in ways you may not have been challenged before.

College is the time to embrace personal growth. While the acquisition of technical knowledge in your chosen career field is important, vastly more important to your success in all aspects of your life is the personal enrichment you will find in these pages.

Can you commit, like Sam, to spending twenty to thirty hours of your time, approximately two or three hours a week each week for ten weeks? Are you ready to become a much better person, and lay the foundations for greater success in college and in all aspects of your life?

If you can make such a commitment, check out the other posts to this blog.

Dr. Ron A. Rhoades is an Asst. Professor of Finance at Western Kentucky University's Gordon Ford College of Business, where he chairs the (B.S. Finance) Financial Planning Program. An innovative, passionate teacher, he is the author of Choose to Succeed in College and in Life: Continously Improve, Persevere, and Enjoy the Journey (2014), from which many of these blog posts are derived.

Dr. Rhoades also serves as a consultant to the Garrett Planning Network, a nationwide network of independent, Fee-Only financial planners making competent, objective financial advice accessible to all people. He is the author of several books, dozens of articles, and he is a frequent speaker at financial planning and investments conferences. He is the recipient of many awards for his advocacy on behalf of the fiduciary standard. Dr. Rhoades is also a member of The Florida Bar, and he practices estate planning and transfer taxation for select current clients.

Dr. Rhoades and his wife, Cathy, reside in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

To contact Dr. Rhoades, please e-mail: WKUBear@gmail.com.

1: Why Are You Here At This College or University?

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.” - Steve Jobs

Congratulations!

You made it! You survived high school and made good enough grades and test scores to be admitted to this college or university. And, perhaps, you have survived the first semester (or first several semesters) of your college career.

Your college years can, and should be, among the best years of your life. Unfortunately, some students won’t “make it” to graduation. Other students may graduate, but fail to find success in the business world. Or students may graduate and achieve some measures of success, but never achieve greatness – in all aspects of their lives. 

Seize this opportunity. Make the most of your college years in order to propel your future success. Not just in the world of business, but in all aspects of life. Such an adverse result should be viewed as intolerable, by you and by everyone around you (i.e. your family, friends, fellow students, faculty, and staff).

This text provides a series of exercises over the next ten weeks to assist you to succeed in college. The valuable tips you discern from undertaking these exercises will also provide also help you succeed in the world of business and in life. 

Begin with the End in Mind

To get where you are going, you need to first have the end in mind. To do this you must first define the person you want to be. Then you can work each and every day to become that person. 

Your First Exercise: “Define Who You Want to Be.”

Complete the three tasks set forth below.

First, watch the online video “Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005.” (14:34)

 

Second, write a description of your future self.  Imagine it is ten years from now. In your journal, write a description of yourself, assuming you have achieved those things that are important to you.  In forming your description of your “future self,” consider these questions:

• Where do you live?
• What work do you do?
• What would your colleagues at work say about you?
• How much do you make?
• What activities, if any, are you taking to continue to improve yourself?
• What relationships do you possess with others?  What is the depth of those relationships?
• What do you do to sustain and strengthen those relationships?
• What activities do you participate in for pleasure?
• If your family and friends were to describe you, what would they say about you, your personal traits and habits, and ethics or morals?

Write a description of your “future self” in a journal. Your journal can be handwritten or typed. It may be a file on a computer, or a notebook of some kind. This description should normally be at least 250 words, but not more than 500 words.

Third, write your epitaph. If a monument were to be erected in your honor following the end of your lifetime, what would it say? What would someone say at your eulogy? Imagine what you would like others to say about you in an epitaph (i.e., an inscription on a tombstone in memory of the one buried there; or a brief literary piece commemorating a deceased person). Some examples follow:

• “What he sought, he acquired. What he loved, he cherished. What he had, he gave to others. As he departs, what he leaves behind is better.”
• “She dreamed of a better world, and assisted others in a quest to make it possible. Through instruction in truths, and through leadership in observing sound principles which guide our lives, she inspired others.”
• “He found his path to success, for he found ways to serve his family, his friends, his clients, and mankind.  He believed in truth, justice, and peace. He embraced compassion and understanding.  In his own quiet way, he treasured and loved us all.”
• “At rare intervals there appears among us a person whose virtues are so manifest to all, who has such a capacity for relating to every sort of human being, who so subordinates her own ego's drives to the concerns of others, who lives her whole life in harmony with the world around her, that she is revered and loved by all who know her.”    

Now, imagine and write your own epitaph in your journal.

Dr. Ron A. Rhoades is an Asst. Professor of Finance at Western Kentucky University's Gordon Ford College of Business, where he chairs the (B.S. Finance) Financial Planning Program. An innovative, passionate teacher, he is the author of Choose to Succeed in College and in Life: Continously Improve, Persevere, and Enjoy the Journey (2014), from which many of these blog posts are derived.

Dr. Rhoades also serves as a consultant to the Garrett Planning Network, a nationwide network of independent, Fee-Only financial planners making competent, objective financial advice accessible to all people. He is the author of several books, dozens of articles, and he is a frequent speaker at financial planning and investments conferences. He is the recipient of many awards for his advocacy on behalf of the fiduciary standard. Dr. Rhoades is also a member of The Florida Bar, and he practices estate planning and transfer taxation for select current clients.

Dr. Rhoades and his wife, Cathy, reside in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

To contact Dr. Rhoades, please e-mail: WKUBear@gmail.com.

2: A Letter to an Incoming Freshman

This lesson is a “crash course” in some important tips – from fellow students – that you need to know at the beginning of your first semester of college.

As you approach “move-in day” at college for the first time, we wanted to share with you our own thoughts about what it takes to succeed in college.

Before we begin, we know that college life may seem overwhelming at times. We were there. Don’t worry if you find yourself overwhelmed – things will get better!

Party in Moderation

First and foremost, don’t take your newly found freedom for granted. Spending all of your “free” time going to parties and drinking (especially when underage) is going to put you on a fast track to fail.

Try not to party too much, especially right before a test. There will always be parties; your academics come first, and realize that you are not the only one “staying in” to study, instead of going to a party.

Sure, it’s fun to go out and party. But you have invested so much time and money into your education; don’t waste it. Save parties and similar activities for the weekends. Once a week is plenty enough.  Clearing your mind of things one night a week is a great way to get you back on track for the stressful week ahead.

College Rape is Not Uncommon: Have a “Designated Friend”

Like it or not, date rape is a common occurrence on many college campuses today. Date rape is simply this – rape by an acquaintance. And, far more often than not, date rape occurs when alcohol has been consumed to excess.

Be aware that when the person you are with is intoxicated, she or he cannot consent to sex. In other words, if you have sex with a person who is drunk, you’re a rapist. And being drunk yourself does not excuse your actions, at all.

Here’s a rule of thumb. If you are with someone who is too drunk to drive, then that person is too drunk to consent to sex. If either of you is drunk, wait until the next day. If the feelings are really there, they will be present the next day, when you are both sober.

Most importantly - if you plan on drinking, go with a friend who is the “designated safe person” – whose job it is to look out after you and ensure you get back to your dorm room or apartment or home safely. And always get your own drink, and keep your drink in your hand always – yes, the stories about “roofies” are real, where someone might try to spike your drink with a drug in order to later rape you. 

Make the right friends, be social, and get involved.

We know that socialization in college can be hard at first, because we know that you may feel isolated.  But you should get out and socialize.

But don’t solidify your friends too fast. Take a few weeks to “try them on.” If you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas!

If you make the right friends, doing homework will be much easier. If you find friends who care about their grades, you will be motivated to do your work, too. If your friends party a lot, you will be tempted to do that, too.  So be careful in choosing friends.

Make friends with a group of students within your major. Your friends are an essential resource for you, as you can help each other out with homework problems, studying for tests, working on projects.  Having friends in class can also make the class more fun and enjoyable.

Keep your dorm room door open. Literally, just leave it open. You’ll get to know people you live with much better.

Smile, and say “hello” or “good morning” to those in your classes, or in your dorm. A smile shows that you are approachable, and a greeting can often lead to a good conversation.

Don’t know how to converse? Just be curious. Ask questions about the other person – such as where they are from, what they like most about the college, and what major they are studying. Ask for advice – almost everyone loves to give out tips.

We would like to let you know that there is no reason of being afraid, when it comes to socializing, especially with your fellow classmates. All of us make “socialization” mistakes from time to time. We are very friendly and forgiving of such mistakes … and if you run across someone who isn’t, just ignore that person.

Sometimes, it’s not what you know it’s whom you know. In business and in life, you will need to know how to talk to people. So practice and develop your social skills in college. 

Study with others! A few of us studied for hours – alone - only to find we learned nothing. And for some they would usually get confused and make matters worse. If you study with a group you will get to hear different interpretations of the concepts being studied. And teaching others is the best form of studying!

Get involved with clubs and organizations on campus – to make friends.

Clubs and organizations are the best way to make new friends, and these friends can potentially become a very good support system when you need them.

So visit a club meeting. If you don’t feel like it is for you, just move on and try another.

Get involved on campus. Being active and making connections with people while you are here will make college a much more enjoyable and fulfilling experience. The number one factor in staying at a college is the level of involvement you have on campus. If you want to stay in school, stay active!

20% of learning at college takes place in the classroom. The other 80% is learned from friends and organizations you are involved in! This is the time you will learn to be independent, responsible and in general your own person!  Make the best of it and grow as much as you can! 

Understand the costs of being at college. 

There’s a lot of money being spent on your education, by you or your family. Make it worth your while.

But it’s not just money.  In fact, the most important cost of attending college is your time. Time you can never get back.

The years you spend in college are the most important years for your future. Make them count!

Make Certain You are in the Right Major

Not everyone knows exactly what their career path will be when they enter college. And many who think they know discover different interests as they proceed through classes.

Most people are happy pursuing careers for which they possess a good aptitude. To discover your aptitudes, consider some of the “personality tests” that are usually free, from your campuses’ “career development center” or other area. These can be a great way to narrow your choices.

Then get out and explore. Discuss a career with a professor who has actually worked in that field. Attend a career fair and meet employers in that field, and discuss the types of jobs that are available to new graduates, and career paths thereafter. That’s right – even as a freshman, attend career fairs! (It’s great practice for later, too!)

What are Your Primary Goals in Being Here?

Prioritize your goals. What is truly important to you? Sports? Partying? Girls? Boys? Drinking? Or to graduate with a degree so you can be successful in your chosen profession?

Do your best so you can obtain the best job after you graduate from college. If you want a good job, you will need to work hard. The best jobs usually go to those with the better cumulative grade point averages, and to those who are involved in clubs and organizations.

Your personal success is the result of the steps you undertake to achieve it. Ask yourself, “What should I do to make certain that you graduate from college?” The answer is typically, “Go to class and do the work.” Good answer, but actually doing these things is not always easy.  Learn how to persevere and accomplish your goals.

Understand the Need for Self-Control and Grit

One must possess self-control to succeed in life. Practice self-control always.

There will be many days when you would rather go hang out with your friends instead of doing your homework, but self-control will get your through this. Have “grit” – resilience and perseverance.

Your main priority should be your class work; everything else should be secondary. Don’t let your social life control you.  There are going to be times when you want to go hang out and party, but you know you have homework to do. Remember that school comes first.

Try studying in the library, preferably with friends who also need to study.  This way you can avoid some of the distractions you may encounter in the dorms.

Don’t Procrastinate

Don’t procrastinate. When you receive your assignment for the next class, get it done that same day, or as soon as possible. Don’t wait for the deadline to arrive and be up half the night trying to study or finish an assignment. This is especially true in college because unexpected events pop up such as friends stopping by, an accident occurs, or a new class project is announced.

You have to learn how to think through the consequences of your decisions, even if it means learning to refuse your friends at times. Your true friends will understand and still be there when you are done.

College is Not High School

Don’t think you can get by without studying, as you may have done in high school if you were a genius.  College is different. Some of us never studied a lot in high school, but college is very different. If you don’t study, tests and quizzes will not be easy, and you probably won’t do very well.

Professors don’t spoon-feed you the material in college. Some of what appears on exams will never be discussed in class.

Be prepared for class, go to class, and pay attention in class.

You must attend to all of your classes – no excuses! Some of us did not learn that essential need until our sophomore year or later, were lucky enough to scrape by and not wash out. Believe you me, it does come back to haunt you.

Study two to three times a day. Study every night. If you do not, you will fall behind quickly. In order to grasp the many points taught in each class you need to do the reading and assignments outside of class. Getting all your work done will give you a sense of accomplishment, and will relieve stress.

Employ Good Study Habits

When reading chapters, create outlines to help you effectively communicate and understand what you’ve read. Do outlines of the material prior to class. Or use concept maps; you can use “mind map” software, such as Freemind (free download).

Do the assigned reading – the day before class (or earlier). You can’t just float along by doing your homework fifteen minutes before class, like you may have done in high school.

Don’t underestimate the material or the professors.

Make certain that you put twice as much time toward a class, outside of the class, than you do when you are in that class. Repetition is the key here; you are not going to learn much from reading the material once.

Always go to a class prepared – meaning read the assignments and take notes beforehand!  Always review the material prior to class; this will prepare you for what is to come and will help you to memorize the material that much faster.

Pay attention in class at all times. Take as many notes as you can in class. It helps you to stay focused in class, and helps you to retain the knowledge you are exposed to.

Some of us have been told (and have learned) that sitting in certain parts of the classroom will enable you to perform better.  Sitting in the first two rows of the center section of class can be the most beneficial.

Manage Your Time; Plan and Be Organized

Budget your time and set a schedule. If you do this one thing, and stick to it, then everything else will be much easier for you. Plan all of your activities out each week. Try to keep a steady schedule each day, balancing classes and homework with other activities.  It helps you stay organized and not stress out about what you need to do.

During the first year at college some of us had a hard time managing our time. But we got better. When you successfully manage your time, you find that you get a good amount of sleep and the time to engage in other (fun) activities.

Being organized can help you avoid some very foolish mistakes.

Know what is expected of you prior to each class.  If you keep track of all of your assignments and try to complete them on time, it will make your life much easier.

Always check your e-mail and Blackboard (course management system), to keep up with messages from your instructors.

Sleep! Eat! And Take Care of Yourself!

“Go to class, go to chow, go to sleep.”

While it may sound self-explanatory, in our freshman year it took some of us some time to realize that he or she needed to get a good night’s sleep.  Once one’s sleep each night increased, so did one’s GPA.

We cannot stress how important getting enough sleep is!  Most of the time when you don’t get enough sleep, you don’t even bother to get out of bed, much less get to class! So make certain that you are getting enough rest!

One of us had an 8:00 a.m. class during freshman year and he or she was always tired in class, and that affected his or her grades.

“Sleep before study.” You mind cannot retain information if it is worn out and tired.  So get some rest.

Get 7 to 9.5 hours of sleep a night. Everyone is different as to how much sleep they need. One academic study suggests that the average college student needs 9.25 hours of sleep a night (some might need even more). And these studies demonstrate that the 8th and 9th hours of sleep are really important, as that is when long-term memories are best formed. 

If you get plenty of rest, you will have more energy to make it to every class on time, and to do all of the readings and assignments.

So get to bed at a reasonable hour.  Red Bull-fueled study sessions lasting all night are one quick way to burn out your candle.

Also, don’t go to class hungry. Eat a good meal so you can stay focused in class.  Don’t just survive on vending machines, as they will fill your body with garbage, sapping your strength and brainpower.

One of the most important things is to take care of your body.  Without proper nutrition and exercise your body won’t be as effective as it should be.  We know it’s a pain, but try to eat right, get the proper amount of sleep, and you will notice how good it feels.

Keep an Open Mind

You will meet people from very different backgrounds than yours. The world is full of different opinions, facts, information, and technology. Keeping an open mind can assist you in learning more about things that maybe you did not even know you were interested in.

Being able to act properly in any situation is a key to success in school and life. You never know what school or life will throw at you, and with an open mind you will be able to perform at your best.

Avoid Groupthink

Don’t let your peers and their behavior unduly influence your own decisions and actions.  Like the saying goes, “If everybody agrees, somebody isn’t thinking.”

Keep Your Morals and Your Values Close

Just because you have an open mind doesn’t mean you cannot have great morals.

Just because you may be able to get away with something doesn’t mean you need to go there.

"Without integrity, I am no one." Resist the urge to cheat on a test. Don’t plagiarize – every professor knows how to easily detect plagiarism using online software they access - and they access this software nearly all the time!

Ask Questions, and Ask for Assistance

If you do not understand something, just ask a question.  Some people have trouble with this because they are too shy to say anything.  If you never ask, your professor will never know.  You are paying for the professor – and her or his time!  However, if you are too shy to ask questions in class, then ask the professor in her or his office, or e-mail the professor.

There is no dumb or stupid question. Always ask questions when you don’t know something. This way you will learn what you did not know, and you will be able to do better in those classes.

Go see your professors during their office hours. Listen to them. They know what they are talking about, so don’t be ignorant.

When you are doing your best and studying all of the materials, but you still don’t understand it, ask for extra help. You can even request a tutor to assist you. Some of us see tutors for a couple of our classes, and they have helped us come up with several good studying techniques.

Use the Writing Center. Use the English Department to help you with a paper in your business class. Do your math homework in the Math Lab – that way, if you get stuck on a problem, help is right there. And don't forget online study resources available - including online (free) tutoring assistance.

Get to know at least one professor each semester. Knowing your instructors will increase your connection with the material presented and is a great way to get extra help on class work.

If it gets to be too much, just take a breath and then ask for help. 

Don’t Give Up!

Life and college are going to hit you hard at times, often provoking thoughts in you of quitting. But it is times like these when you need to persevere though any struggles you may be up against.

You should always try to look at the good things you have in life. Thinking about all the bad things will only lead to more bad things and negativity.

Take Time to Relax

Don’t take things too seriously. You need to relax and enjoy yourself once in a while.  But – don’t get carried away.

Have fun on occasion. School can be stressful at times. Make certain you give yourself time to go out and enjoy the best years of your life.

Remember – “Just Breathe!” Try to keep your stress level down; it always makes things more difficult if you are stressed out.

Be yourself and do what you love. Happiness is the key to success, and your time at college should be fun.  You can’t get your college years “back,” so take some time out to enjoy the college experience.

R U Texting in class? Watch out!

Lastly, don’t text in class. At least one professor we know will seize your phone and throw it out the window. We are not joking!

There is no reason why you cannot follow these steps to become a successful student.

Now go out there and make it happen!  “Just do it!”

We wish you all the best in meeting your challenges in all of your future endeavors!

Have a great time in college!

            - Your fellow students (Alfred State College, 2012-2014)

THANK YOU TO MY STUDENTS FOR THE TIPS THEY WROTE, COMPILED INTO THIS POST.

Dr. Ron A. Rhoades is an Asst. Professor of Finance at Western Kentucky University's Gordon Ford College of Business, where he chairs the (B.S. Finance) Financial Planning Program. An innovative, passionate teacher, he is the author of Choose to Succeed in College and in Life: Continously Improve, Persevere, and Enjoy the Journey (2014), from which many of these blog posts are derived.

Dr. Rhoades also serves as a consultant to the Garrett Planning Network, a nationwide network of independent, Fee-Only financial planners making competent, objective financial advice accessible to all people. He is the author of several books, dozens of articles, and he is a frequent speaker at financial planning and investments conferences. He is the recipient of many awards for his advocacy on behalf of the fiduciary standard. Dr. Rhoades is also a member of The Florida Bar, and he practices estate planning and transfer taxation for select current clients.

Dr. Rhoades and his wife, Cathy, reside in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

To contact Dr. Rhoades, please e-mail: WKUBear@gmail.com.

3: Adopt a Growth Mindset

One of the most powerful forces to propel you toward greater success is your belief that change is possible. The brain is malleable. It gets stronger and stronger, and works better, with exercise. Each time you stretch the boundaries of your limits in some way – whether it be through greater self-control, socializing better, or learning something new – the brain forms new connections.

In other words, neither your intelligence, nor your abilities and thinking skills, are fixed. Everyone can improve their intelligence and cognitive abilities!

The question is … do you take full advantage of this malleability, by possessing a growth mindset?

In writing her book, Mindset – How You Can Fulfill Your Potential (2006), Carol Dweck, a professor at Stanford University, who created the concept of mindset, studied first year pre-med majors taking their first chemistry class. Students with a growth mindset got higher grades than those with a fixed mindset. Even when they did not do well on a test, the growth mindset students bounced back on the next test.

Mindset is the cognitive view that individuals develop for themselves. You likely have one of two mindsets:

• a fixed mindset, in which you believe that your qualities are carved in stone and cannot change; or
• a growth mindset, in which you believe your qualities can change and improve through effort.

In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. Sometimes they say things like, “I’m just not good at … (math, etc.).” They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. They are wrong.

In contrast, when people they have a growth mindset, they believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. And note this - virtually all great persons possess these qualities!

The “growth mindset” is perhaps the most fundamental underpinning of grit, tenacity, and perseverance in academic pursuits. It has been found that students are more likely to persist through academic challenges when they believe the effort will make them smarter and lead to success. And they are right!

What is required for a growth mindset? It’s easy to withdraw into a fixed mindset when the going gets tough. But know this - as you bump up against obstacles, if you keep growing, work harder, stay the course, and improve your strategies, then you will become a more successful student.

While fixed mindset students focused on memorization of terms verbatim, growth mindset students took charge of their motivation and learning, searching for themes and principles in the course. While fixed mindset students upon receiving bad scores just “moved on” (many dropping out of pre-med), growth mindset students went over their mistakes until they understood why they made them. In other words, growth mindset students studied to learn, not just to ace the test.

Your assignment … should you choose to accept it (and please do!) … watch this 11-minute video: “ThePower of Belief - Mindset and Success,” by Eduardo Briceno at TEDxManhattanBeach.  After watching the video, please write in your journal a 150-word or longer essay, “Why and How I Should Adopt a Growth Mindset.”

Should you desire, undertake a Google and/or YouTube search for “growth mindset” to gain greater understanding of this important concept.

Dr. Ron A. Rhoades is an Asst. Professor of Finance at Western Kentucky University's Gordon Ford College of Business, where he chairs the (B.S. Finance) Financial Planning Program. An innovative, passionate teacher, he is the author of Choose to Succeed in College and in Life: Continously Improve, Persevere, and Enjoy the Journey (2014), from which many of these blog posts are derived.

Dr. Rhoades also serves as a consultant to the Garrett Planning Network, a nationwide network of independent, Fee-Only financial planners making competent, objective financial advice accessible to all people. He is the author of several books, dozens of articles, and he is a frequent speaker at financial planning and investments conferences. He is the recipient of many awards for his advocacy on behalf of the fiduciary standard. Dr. Rhoades is also a member of The Florida Bar, and he practices estate planning and transfer taxation for select current clients.

Dr. Rhoades and his wife, Cathy, reside in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

To contact Dr. Rhoades, please e-mail: WKUBear@gmail.com.

4: Expand Your Comfort Zone

Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote, “Do one thing each day that scares you.”

I once met two brothers, students in my class, who – despite having characteristics of introverts – were outgoing, friendly, and always willing to tackle new challenges. Having lunch with them one day, I discovered their secret. Each and every morning, as their mother sent them off to school, their mother said: “Do one thing today that scares you.”

We must realize that our brains are hard-wired, from the days of the cave men, to flee from danger. But in today’s society, where interpersonal skills are so highly valued, we need to learn to overcome fear. Otherwise fear prevents us from achieving, and it takes a far greater bite out of our life than we should permit it to do.

While not all fears should be overcome, many fears cause us to be anxious in social situations. To overcome these and related fears, each of us needs to seek to “expand our comfort zone.”

As you expand your comfort zone, you actually grow as a person to fill out these new boundaries.

If you have a larger comfort zone, and continue to push the edges of it out, you really do grow as an individual – you have more experiences, undertake more learning, and acquire more wisdom.

Understand the Need to Say “Yes”!

In the 2008 movie “Yes Man,” Jim Carrey plays Carl, who reluctantly promises to stop being a "No Man" and vows to answer "Yes!" to every opportunity, request or invitation that presents itself thereafter. While the result (in the movie) is both hilarious and, at times, moving, the movie is actually based upon a real experiment. In fact, after the movie, some individuals chose to say “Yes!” for an entire week. Here’s one blog post indicating the results: http://vladdolezal.com/blog/2009/my-real-world-yes-man-experiment/

If saying “Yes!” to everything for a week is too much of a challenge, then consider an alternative – calculated activities to expand your “comfort zone.”

For much of the past 30 years, I’ve taken on the challenge of expanding my comfort zone. Being a severe introvert, I first learned how to socialize at receptions and similar events (a skill I am still working on). I began to give speeches and presentations, first to small groups; this evolved into my current ability to give speeches to a several hundred or a few thousand people at various conferences without any undue nervousness.

Each and every one of us has her or his own “comfort zone.” Studies have shown that 40% of college students possess social anxiety – i.e., shyness. And the remaining 60% possess anxiety in other circumstances, such as public speaking, meeting someone new for the first time, etc. The truth is that each and every one of us can expand their comfort zone, significantly, over time. And college is a great place to undertake this effort.

Why do this? Life’s magic occurs largely outside your current comfort zone. If you want to suck all the marrow out of life, as I do, you need to be willing to put yourself out there into areas of “discomfort.” Then, as you adjust, you become more and more comfortable in those situations, thereby expanding your comfort zone, you actually grow as a person to fill out these new boundaries.

If you develop a larger comfort zone, and continue to push the edges of it out, you really do grow as an individual – you have more experiences, undertake more learning, and acquire more wisdom.

In short, you experience life more fully.

As an added bonus, when you interview for a job in your career field you will be a better interviewee, and job candidate. The better jobs go to the graduates who are more personable and well-rounded!

Rush Toward Your Fear!

I am deathly afraid of heights, and always have been. As a child, during a visit to New York City, I was very nervous about going up the Empire State Building, and even more so when my parents urged me to peer down from the observation deck to the streets below. My fear of falling was intense; and my parents could never get me to ride any roller coaster - regardless of how small or tame it may have been.

So at the age of 18 years, I faced a dilemma. I was in my first summer at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. I found out that on the summer cruise, in just a few weeks’ time, I would be required to climb the rigging of the tall ship, the U.S.C.G. Eagle, and to work aloft handling the sails.

While at the Coast Guard Academy I received instruction from a Boatswain's Mate, who had been in the Coast Guard for about a decade. He previously had served on the Eagle, and as he taught us various types of knots he explained where on the Eagle we might find a use for each one. As he was teaching several cadets and me the intricacies of tying a bowline (a type of knot), I asked the Boatswain’s Mate, with some apprehension in my voice, “How difficult is it to climb the Eagle's rigging?” The Boatswain's Mate paused from working the line in his hands, looked me straight in the eye, and simply said: "Rush toward your fear."

A few weeks later, my fellow swabs - that's what they called first year cadets - were flown to Miami, where we picked up the Eagle to take her on a week-long training cruise. So here I was, at the Port of Miami, aboard the docked ship, with my gear stowed.  It was an early summer evening, and I was on deck, looking up at the three masts, the 10 yardarms, the crosstrees, shrouds, halyards, and all the other rigging. As I was looking up, contemplating my fate, the Officer of the Deck approached me and asked, "Want to go aloft?"

I imagine I turned white a bit, but just then I remembered what the Boatswain’s Mate had said.  "Rush toward your fear." So I nodded to the Officer of the Deck, stowed my hat, and headed up the rigging. I climbed up the rope ladder, past the first platform and the lowest yardarm. I continued higher and higher, pausing every several steps to look around – and at times down to the deck, appearing smaller and smaller as I went higher and higher. Past two more yardarms, and finally I made it to the second and higher platform upon which I could sit, pause, and regain my senses.

But just then the Officer of the Deck shouted up, “Keep going. Touch the commissioning pennant.” I looked down, then up, terrified. The shrouds (lines running up and down) were very narrow at this point, and it was difficult to fit my big shoe in the rigging to go higher. But, keeping in mind what the Boatswain’s Mate had told me, higher I did go, the last thirty feet, and touched the commissioning pennant at the top of the mainmast, some one hundred fifty feet above the deck.

As I headed back down, I traversed out onto the footrope that hung beneath each of the yardarms. My big feet found each single footrope that hung beneath each yardarm with ease with a firm grip on the handrails affixed to each yardarm. I traversed out to the end of each yardarm, then returned back to the mast.

I also paused and sat on each platform, partly to rest and partly to enjoy the view.  In the rays of the setting summer sun, I felt a sense of accomplishment. Not only had I climbed the rigging, far beyond the point where I ever thought I would, but I was the first among my classmates to do so.

From that day forward, I was known as a “rigging rat,” always willing to go aloft to furl or unfurl the sails.

A year later, I was aboard the Eagle for a longer summer cruise, this time across the Atlantic and back. When returning, just northwest of Bermuda, the ship encountered a low-pressure system. (A better description of the low-pressure system would be “minor hurricane” – although I was not convinced that hurricanes could be minor.)

It was the middle of the night. Cadets were not allowed on deck, except for the bridge crew. The Eagle was under sail, in seventy-five knot winds, with gusts up to ninety knots. Even though it was the dead of night, the sea was awash in white, as the wind and waves combined to brew a froth of whitecaps and foam atop the thirty-foot high waves.

That night I was on duty on the ship’s helm. I led a team of six cadets, on three connected six-foot ship’s wheels, as we sought to keep the ship on course. The Eagle did not have power steering, so turning the rudder, via the wheel, required a good amount of muscle applied by the six cadets.

Only the three lower sails on each mast were deployed that night, as the top two sails had long been furled in order to not strain the masts too much. Suddenly the gaskets that constrained the topsail to the yardarm blew out. This posed a dangerous condition – not only could we lose a sail in the powerful wind, but the stress being placed on the mast by the sail flapping in the high wind could cause it to snap. If the mast snapped, it could fall to and through the deck, even punching a hole in the hull of the ship. In short, the ship was at risk.

The Captain quickly sent an experienced enlisted man aloft to secure the sail. After twenty minutes, the enlisted man signaled down that he needed more line. The Captain looked around, spotted me on the wheel, and asked: “Rhoades, want to go aloft?”

I wouldn’t say that I wanted to go aloft in those conditions. But a request from your Captain was more like a very strong suggestion, and somewhat close to an order. So I headed down to the Boatswain’s Locker, measured out eighty feet of line, cut and spliced the ends of the line, and wrapped it in a coil. With the coil of line slung over my shoulders, I headed up to the deck, crossed to the side of the ship, and in a pause between the waves crashing over the ship's side, I then grasped the rigging and headed aloft.

The Eagle, though under sail, reeled from side to side and yawed fore and aft. Climbing the rigging was instantly a challenge, for as the ship careened over onto one side I found myself not climbing vertically, but rather at times almost horizontally, looking down at the deck. Then, as the Eagle careened to its other side, I hung on, for I would find myself hanging on to the rigging, looking straight up to the sky, with all fours – and even at times with my head seemingly below my feet.

Fifteen minutes of effort later, I finally reached the top yardarm. I left the rigging and traversed out onto the footrope beneath the yardarm. There I encountered the enlisted man – the very same Boatswain’s Mate who had taught me knots more than a year before. We looked each other in the eye, and he nodded at me, with a slight smile passing his lips. I nodded back, and then together we set to work, wrapping up the sail with the line and tightly securing it to the yardarm. Some thirty minutes later, we were back on deck, exhausted from battling the high winds and sea spray as we worked aloft. Yet it was a physical exhaustion only, for our minds raced as we recalled the journey we had together pursued during the past hour.

Rush toward your fear – or you will miss out on the great experiences in life.

Today I am still afraid of heights. But I have been on roller coasters since I was eighteen years of age.  And I have gone up in many tall buildings (and even, at times, I have peeked over the edge).

If you are confronted with some fear, realize this. Whatever fear is facing you - whether it be the fear of meeting someone new for the first time, or the fear of public speaking, or some other fear in life - rush toward it. For once you are past it, life is great on the other side.

Your Assignment:  

First, watch the following TedX talk, only six minutes long: “Measuring Comfort Zones” by Marcus Taylor at TEDxMelbourne. (6 minutes).

Then, for each of the next nine weeks, choose two activities each week from the list below. Choose those activities that scare you – i.e., those activities that expand your comfort zone. Please note that you may not repeat any activity.

At the end of each week, you should write down your progress in your journal. Schedule a reminder on your smart phone for the same day and time, once a week for nine weeks, to record your journal entries.

Your journal entries might start off in the following manner: "I expanded my comfort zone over the past week by undertaking two activities I would not have normally undertaken. For the first activity I … (Describe the activity. What was the result for you? How did it make you feel?) As a result of all of this experience, I have realized that …. For the second activity I … (Describe the activity. What was the result for you? How did it make you feel?) As a result of all of this experience, I have realized that …."

Here are the activities to choose from:

1. Eat something different – a food item you have not tried in at least a year.

2. Give at least three people compliments on any day, when you normally would not (counts as one activity).

3. Smile at (all) strangers, and say “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” or “Hi” to all the people you pass by, for one entire day – and wherever you are!

4. Get to sleep (bed) one hour earlier for four nights straight, and at the same time each night (this counts as one activity).

5. Speak up in a class – when you normally would not speak up.

6. Go to an on-campus event or which you typically would not go to, or engage in a new activity on-campus.

7. Thank a friend or family member for their ongoing support.

8. Tell someone they are loved.

9. Let go of your self-judgment for a day. And do something others would never think you would do. Feel good about yourself. If others think ill of you – they do not matter; they are no longer part of your personal universe.

10. Perform on Karaoke night.

11. Show three friends or acquaintances the benefits of the “Power Pose” and show them the video (Google search: “TedX Power Pose”).

12. Unplug your t.v. and video games for one entire week.

13. Use the writing center on-campus for assistance in reviewing the draft of an essay or paper.

14. Do your math homework in the math lab, seeking assistance when needed.

15. Ask for a tutor.

16. Form a study group, or join one, during the next seven days.

17. See a professor for guidance on “how to do better” in a particular class, or on a particular assignment.

18. See a professor for tips or career paths and/or “how to best network to find jobs or internships.”

19. Obtain counseling at the student health center to talk through a problem or to seek ideas on how to relieve stress.

20. Apologize to someone you have done wrong / admit you were wrong.

21. Write a “personal log entry” in which you forgive someone for a wrong done to you. Let go of bitterness and anger. Let go of a grudge. (Whether you choose to communicate your forgiveness to the other person is up to you, and dependent upon the circumstances.)

22. Perform three “random acts of kindness” in one day (counts as one activity). For ideas on random acts of kindness you might undertake, Google search the term “random acts of kindness.”

23. Go up to a stranger in a student dining or coffee shop area. Introduce yourself and ask him or her if you can ask them a few questions, for an assignment you are working on. Find out the person’s name, major or occupation, hometown, and what they like most and least about the college or the program they are in.

24. Change your group of friends (i.e., don’t “lie down with dogs”), or disassociate yourself over time from one friend who tends to drag you down.

25. Undertake a civic engagement activity with others.

26. Post a “success tip” once a day, each day, or your dorm room door or another place on campus, or on your social media page, for five straight days. Make certain you indicate below the success tip your identity, such as: “This success tip provided courtesy of (your name).”

OR ... CREATE YOUR OWN CHALLENGE. Just make certain the activity scares you!

These exercises can be powerful, if you approach them with an open mind and a view toward personal growth.

Prior comments received from students include:

• “Some students don’t really understand the point of these exercises. But, it’s teaching the confidence that you need to survive in the business world.”
• “As a result of all these experiences, I have realized how important it is step outside your comfort zone.  I never realized how much you could be missing out on when you stay within your safe day-to-day routine.  Although not every experience was a pleasant one I still enjoyed all of these exercises.”
• “I feel that doing things which are uncomfortable can make life more worthwhile.”
• “I know some of these tasks might come by easy to some people, but they were hard ones for me. I realize that stepping outside your comfort zone not only builds strength, but it also helps you realize things about yourself you would have never known if you didn’t do the unusual.”
• “I would do this project one hundred times over again.”

Dr. Ron A. Rhoades is an Asst. Professor of Finance at Western Kentucky University's Gordon Ford College of Business, where he chairs the (B.S. Finance) Financial Planning Program. An innovative, passionate teacher, he is the author of Choose to Succeed in College and in Life: Continously Improve, Persevere, and Enjoy the Journey (2014), from which many of these blog posts are derived.

Dr. Rhoades also serves as a consultant to the Garrett Planning Network, a nationwide network of independent, Fee-Only financial planners making competent, objective financial advice accessible to all people. He is the author of several books, dozens of articles, and he is a frequent speaker at financial planning and investments conferences. He is the recipient of many awards for his advocacy on behalf of the fiduciary standard. Dr. Rhoades is also a member of The Florida Bar, and he practices estate planning and transfer taxation for select current clients.

Dr. Rhoades and his wife, Cathy, reside in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

To contact Dr. Rhoades, please e-mail: WKUBear@gmail.com.