Working on campus has its unexpected perks.
I was fretting about an upcoming accounting exam, when our director of employer relations laughed, told me to stop worrying and said “College isn’t about the grades you make; it’s about the hands you shake.” This got me thinking, if earning a post graduate job was all about networking then why was I so stressed about passing this exam?!
I realized then that not being able to understand balanced scorecards in accounting as easily as I did certain topics in marketing did not make me stupid…it made me disciplined and surprisingly smarter!
Don’t let bad grades define your potential or measure your intelligence.
I realized that I shouldn’t focus on learning things that I may not use in my marketing job. As college students, we should focus on what we’re good at and what we enjoy…which will hopefully become our major!
Hard work is not always reflected in grades and as counter-intuitive as it seems, it never feels like you tried hard enough…even when you spend hours practically building a relationship with your text book.
So instead of beating yourself up about it, use it as motivation to learn more about your career field and the skills you need to develop to get there. Build your communication skills by networking. Develop your organizational skills by becoming an officer in a student organization…whatever it is do it! And do it mindfully.
The next two things are vital. Above all, always be likable and trainable. No one wants to work with someone who can’t take a joke or who remains negative and closed off to personal interaction. Put yourself out there! Attend every event you can possibly attend and meet everyone in the room. You never know who you’ll meet, what connections you’ll make and what opportunities may arise. Be flexible and willing to learn. Every company will come with its own culture and work standards, so stay willing and excited to both adapt and bring to the table your own unique ideas!
As the academic semester draws to a close and the holidays approach us, let us rejoice in the fact that we won’t ever have to see those jarring subjects again and that one day our hard work will pay off no matter what! Make the grades you need to obtain your degree and graduate with pride by making better use of your time developing useful skills and not pouring over material you may not ever see again!
During my wait for final grades to be posted, I came across an article that practically changed my entire outlook on the one thing we all hate the most…failure. Take a look and get ready to be even more motivated!
“Why the ones who have bad grades are often the ones who are most successful”
Our Roaring 20's 
