College Success Tips

College Success Tips - Free Download

2010-03-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

College Success Tips

2007-12-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest underlying benefits to "College Success Tips" is the fact that it goes far beyond succeeding in college.

After reading it you will realize that is goes far beyond college life and succeeding in college.

The lessons and personal stories create a foundation for being successful not only in college but also in the real world.

While you are attending college, your perspective is that of a college student.

The primary focus is on choosing a major, making the best grade and meeting new friends.

Once you begin attending college from the perspective as a business person you will open your mind to many more possibilities.

Your experience will be different because you now see things from a different point of view.

To learn more about succeeding in college and life you will find some addition information at: "College Success Tips"

Wish you the best!

Robert Avila

Career Choices

2007-12-01T16:27:00.001-08:00

The sooner you decide on a major that you are passionate about, the more time you will have to build a successful career.

Choosing a major is like starting a business...your business.

The faster you can find a business (or major) you are interested in, the sooner you can begin building your business (or career).

Some people find their niche in business and in life sooner than others. Some it takes a little longer. Some people don't find a career they enjoy until their 30's or even later life.

The reason I mention this because I recently met someone who has their career on a fast track. A friend of mine has completed her undergraduate degree as well as her masters by age 23.

Now this isn't completely uncommon, however being good at what you do and happy with what you are doing at age 23 can be a little uncommon.

What amazed me is the fact that I know several people 10 years older that still uncertain about their future.

By the time she is 33 years old her career, her knowledge and her professional network of contacts in her industry will be unbelievable.

For someone going into her profession at age 33 just starting out.....will be 10 years behind her in knowledge and contacts...even though they are both the same age!

Take choosing a major in college seriously and make finding "Your" niche priority, you'll be glad you did 10 years from now!

Wish you the best,

Robert Avila

Succeeding after College

2007-11-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

Last week I had an interesting conversation with a friend who is a recent college graduate.

We discussed careers, relationships and what qualities are important in people.

As we talked about these various aspects of life something really jumped out at me.
Many of my friends beliefs were very similar to the beliefs I had
after graduation.

Now, being a little further down the road of life....my beliefs
are so drastically different than what they once were.

My beliefs are so different that it was almost painful to hear my friends view of the world. It was obvious that she would be running into some major "disappointments" down the road.

The reason I say this is because her perception of the world and how it actually is were not even close...My jaw was on the ground.

While listening to my friend I could hear that the underlying tone was- I'm entitled to...I deserve...people should act this way....being "right" is important.

It's very easy to fall into the belief that making good grades, earning a college degree and being a "good" person are the keys to ones happiness. We all want to believe that being good people will lead to a life of happiness. Now I do believe that what we sow we will reap....and that when we do good things ...then good things will come back to us.

When you go through life be sure to keep an open mind and be open to seeing the other persons perspective. There are very few things in life that are black and white.

There is a lot of work ahead in your career....Life after college is very different. The responsibilities of your career, relationships, finances and possibly your own family will toughen you up real quick.

So learn to embrace the changes and realize that other people don't always behave the way we want them to!

College Graduation...Now What?

2007-11-17T23:00:00.000-08:00

You've graduated, earned your degree.....Now What?

The reason I pose this question is based on some recent conversations I have had with college graduates.

"I don't know what I am going to do?"

"At least I have a job that is related to my degree."

"So many of my friends can't find jobs"

WOW!

It's a shocking reality...isn't.

If you starting your career....and realize that what you have been studying the past 4 years isn't something you are passionate - Then change immediately.

Don't feel you have to "get a job related to your degree" to justify your college education....or to prove anything to anyone. You will quickly learn that most of your education....the education that will actually translate into income....will be learned on the job.

Time is you most precious resource....the sooner you can get into a field you enjoy......the sooner you can move closer to earning an income you are happy with and can live on.

If you haven't found a job yet.....Target a company you feel fits what you are looking for and get to know someone working there. You are going to need an inside track to prevent your resume from being buried under several other resumes on someones desk.

Get to know the receptionist....or talk with friends and neighbors to see if anyone has a friend working there that can help you get your foot in the door.

Never give up or settle for a career you aren't excited about.

Wish you the best!

Robert Avila

PS. If you are currently attending college....or entering college as a freshman....do your homework and pursue something that you can get excited about. As long as you are in the general area of your interests.....you can make adjustments and narrow your choices down the road. The longer you go down the "wrong" path.....the tougher it is to change course!

College Tips Time Capsule

2007-05-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

As you are progressing through college and life, the time seems to pass very rapidly.

One really incredible "To do" you may want to consider is taking a snapshot of where your life is today. I remember learning this exercise as a high school senior.

During one of our final classes in psychology, our teacher asked us to write a letter to ourselves.

We were instructed to write a letter to ourselves describing our current lives as seniors in high school getting ready to graduate.

Some of the details we were asked to document were:

Who our friends were, where we live, where we work, what our favorite song was, what our hobbies were, what our goals were etc.

Next, we provided a self addressed stamped envelope and our teacher held on to the letters, and mailed them to us one year later!

Now this seemed really strange....however everyone competed the assignment.

I am sure all of us forgot about the assignment within a few hours, however receiving that letter one year later blew my doors off!

It was unreal how dramatic my life had changed in one year!

Everything was completely different. My friends, my goals etc....my entire life was transformed during that first year in college.

This exercise can be completed at any stage in your life. You can easily save it as a word document save it and review in one year, or you can have someone save it and mail it to you.

Your mind will be completely blown by how much you grow!

College Success Tips - ebook

2007-04-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

You may have come across my other site www.collegetipsonline.com.

If you haven't definitely be sure to check it out....you will notice a Graduation Special for the month of April 2007.

As I was writing the book talking with various professionals over the past decade...there was one common response...

"I wish I had known what we know now....back then in college!"

Entrepreneurs, teachers, physicians, Internet millionaires etc...looked at me with an "aha moment" when I shared the details of this ebook.

"That's an awesome idea.....That is exactly what I was thinking....Why didn't anyone ever teach us this.....etc."

Looking back the once not so obvious ...becomes extremely obvious, sometimes it's almost painful.

My goal with this College Success Tips ebook is to save college freshman and those currently pursuing their degree from all the mistakes many of us commonly make.

Why did we make mistakes?

Because there wasn't anyone willing to let us in on what we were getting ourselves into.

No one ever told us...what we needed to know to succeed in college.

In college and in business, being able to know in advance what is down the road ahead is like having a crystal ball.

The surprises ...are no longer surprises once you know what to expect.

College Networking

2007-03-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a very successful friend of mine, who has prospered not only as an entrepreneur but also in the corporate world. He is a millionaire and has been semi-retired at age 42.

One of the valuable lessons he shared with me was the importance of networking and building relationships.

He had given me an example by comparing the cost of various MBA programs. One could attend a local university at a fraction of the cost of a prestigious MBA program.....

However....

The more prestigious university with the lofty price tag - also had a very powerful network of leadership in the business world.

He mentioned that is why he was willing ...(and could afford) to spend over $100,000 on that education.

One thing to keep in mind....of course is that we all have our own level of resources to work with.

Do the best with what you have. You can build powerful relationships where ever you are, as long as you keep it on the forefront of your mind. When you are consciously aware of the value of building a network you will put forth the effort to build those relationships.

Choosing a College Major - Finding Your Passion

2007-03-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Passion...

You have more than likely heard this time and time again.

Find your passion.
Follow your passion.
What's your passion.
What are you passionate about?

If you don't know what your passion is, it will be tough to comprehend it. It took me several years to find my passion. It was something I was familiar with, from hearing the phrases above....but just could not relate. I couldn't relate until I discovered my passion.

As long as you continue to look, you will find it.

It's extremely important that you discover you passion to make sure you are on the right path in your life.

It's a key starting point.

So how does one define passion...how do you know that you have found it...how is it described?

One way to look at it is what are you not passionate about? Picture it in your mind. It is more than likely something you don't like doing. It's an irritation. You try to avoid it. It brings frustration and it's tough to focus on. etc...etc.

Passion is 180 degrees in the other direction!

You enjoy it.
It doesn't feel like work.
You would do it for free.
You want to learn more about it.
You lose track of time while studying it or working at it.
You get excited and like talking about it.
You enjoy teaching others about it.
You don't lose focus with it.
You are good at it.
You want to be the best at it.

- Once you find your passion ...you will know it.

- There will be 100% certainty in finding it.

- You will have Zero doubts.

Brian Tracy - speaker and author mentions looking back to what you enjoyed when you were 8 years old. What excited you at that age? What did you spend your time doing?

Last week on "The Big Idea" - with Donny Deutsch, he interviewed a corporate attorney who left his job to build Legos.

He accepted a job at Lego Land working for an hourly rate of $13.00/per hour after leaving behind a six-figure income. He later left to become a Lego artist, working for himself - out earning his previous $100,000 income. He was having fun doing what he enjoyed as a kid as his new profession.

You will find what you are looking for....

The answer lies within you...

Should you go to college?

2007-03-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

That seems to be a very common question I have run into lately.

Everyone wants to know:

- Is college worth it?
- Should I attend college?
- I am in college and thinking of quitting.
- I am learning so much more on my own...should I even bother going?
- I want to start my own business...do I need college?

It recently dawned on me.....the questions all stem from something much deeper.

It's not whether or not you should go? or is it worth going?

It's all about what do you want to do with your life.

You must ask yourself this question first.....

What do you want?

Everything stems from that question. Once you know what you want, it will answer if going to college is what you should be doing. Students that know what they want and are passionately pursuing something "know" they should be attending and don't question themselves. It falls in line with their career plan.

We all hear about the importance of passion....and for those that have found your passion...you are blessed. If you haven't.....you will be blessed with finding it as long as you don't give up and settle for "just getting by" with a career path you aren't to crazy about.

In the next post.....we'll get further into "passion"....without it life can be a struggle.

Is College Worth It?

2007-02-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

Are you thinking about going to college but don't know if it's worth it?

Are you in college now and having second thoughts?

These are questions we all have at one time or another. The answer to "Is college worth it?" - all depends on where you are headed, what's important to you, and what you want to pursue in life.

To become successful, happy and have a solid financial future is going to depend on if you are on the right career path -for You.

An education definitely can't hurt you....just make sure you are pursuing your degree and career for the right reasons. If you earn a degree in something you are not passionate about, it will be very challenging to succeed and do your best.

If college is definitely not for you....don't be discouraged. There are so many stories of successful people that never attended college or dropped out. They learned "on the job" in their own businesses and working with mentors.

College Career Choices

2007-02-17T18:06:00.000-08:00

I recently attended a Purdue Alumni Annual Dinner and was blown away by how the campus has evolved.

There are so many new buildings under construction - designed around various fields of study such as nanotechnology, biomedical sciences etc. The landscape had completely changed.

As the years pass, there will always be more career options than there were in the past.

What does this mean to you?

You are living in a time with more opportunities than ever before. The choices are endless.

This can also make your decision ever more challenging.

Be sure you do your due diligence when going to college. We often may pursue a career path we are familiar with. But what about the ones that exist, that we know nothing about?

The more questions you ask, and the more investigating you do...the better your odds of finding what you are "passionate" about...rather than something you "like."