Alexandra Blockton
Have you ever thought about what it truly means to bring out your best potential? Often, someone can overlook their potential when striving for success. This is one of the most meaningful times of a student’s life, especially when they are students who are close to earning their degree. One of the most important things to look forward to when approaching graduation is becoming successful. Through hard work, they have made a commitment to achieving their goals. No matter what, this is a time of celebrating oneself while continuing to move forward. Someone’s family, teachers, mentors, and other supportive individuals within a student’s life hold a significant role in terms of success.
Author Philip Zimbardo, a professor of Psychology at Stanford University and Palo Alto University, as well as the president of the American Psychological Association and the Western Psychological Association, says, “I wish for all of you graduates a happy life and one that contributes to the collective good.”1 As a student, it is important to maintain good time management skills, keep an open mind to learning new things, pursue your passions in a gentle manner, work on enhancing your social skills, and try to engage with others more often. It is also important to learn from your mistakes, strive to become a hero and a positive influence while continuing to enjoy life. These seven ways will help students further their education while enjoying life at the same time.
First, students can consider creating a space for time management by staying motivated to obtain success. Additionally, they should maintain a strong focus on their family, culture, and identity. Having these skills will assist them in furthering their education and becoming a better person within their school and personal life. Zimbardo says, “Although there is never enough time in our fast-paced lives, we each must learn how to make time for family, make time for friends, and make time for personal fun.”
Second, someone being open to learning new things can enhance their knowledge. They will create a space to focus on obtaining future knowledge. “It is now time for you to more fully appreciate that gift by continuing to be a studious student for the rest of your life,” said Zimbardo.
Thirdly, when it comes to students staying organized with their daily tasks to complete, it can be helpful along the way. This will allow them to bring out their pride with passion while maintaining structure.
Next, the step that I found to be of interest in the article is that an individual being social can play a significant role in their life by being open to socializing more instead of being shy. It will allow them to connect with others within their environment. Zimbardo says, “Shyness is a self-imposed social restriction that limits others from having access to your inner strengths and virtues because you have created that social barrier.” Students socializing with others can open new doors for them in beneficial ways. It is a significant and challenging step for a shy student who is willing to get to know others. This is a pure transformation for a shy student. Zimbardo shined a bright light with the suggestion of a student becoming social when they are known to be shy.
Furthermore, when an individual is working to overcome their mistakes in life, this can make them wiser while forgiving themselves for simple mistakes. It will help them become strong while conquering the goals they have set out to achieve in life. On the other hand, someone being able to take a step back to realize they have complete power over themselves will show them the trait of having self-control. Regarding students who experience tension from strangers, family, and friends, it is time for them to remove those thoughts and live a life filled with joy and happiness.
In contrast, “Heroism is acting on behalf of others in need or defense of a moral cause despite potential risks and costs,” said Zimbardo. Someone taking the initiative to be a hero involves taking the time to help others without letting them interfere with the boundaries they have set for themselves. There is a significant reward in return for a person involved by taking the step to lend a helping hand to others without expecting anything in return. Zimbardo says, “You will be more likely to notice someone in need if you have developed the daily habit of opening yourself to other people by routinely noticing what others are doing and imagining what they are feeling.”
Finally, students being considerate by taking the initiative to practice these seven steps will allow them to become successful in their present and future lives. This will allow them to obtain a space for growth within their school lives, personal lives, and their career field of choice. It can make them better organized, talented, and ready to conquer their goals type of people.
