It’s finally exam week, the time of year when great students get separated from average students and when individuals with low discipline and self-esteem cave to the demands that are asked of them in the week ahead.
The biggest misfortune students make for themselves is to create finals week into a make it or break it week.
This is often the result of lackluster academic performance throughout the semester that in turn requires an exceptional performance on exams to make up for the rest of the semester.
During my time at the University, I’ve witnessed the strategy of cramming utilized most by students who don’t show up to class and/or don’t bother to put their cell phones on silent for 50 minutes.
For these students, finals week is nothing short of hell week.
Their academic fate is put on life support because of their inability to take themselves seriously in an academic setting.
Unfortunately, unless a dramatic change is made in their behavior toward their focus and goals, they are likely prone to carrying this behavior into their personal lives as well as their professional work lives.
Believe it or not, exams and academic performance correlate surprisingly well to success in other aspects of your life. Students who understand the benefit of consistent quality work performance are not only served well in school, but also in their personal lives.
Your future spouse is unlikely to feel committed if you’re nonchalant about your relationship, unwilling to grind through the difficult moments and think about the long term.
Not surprisingly, employers feel the same way.
Let exam week put your University goals into perspective. Sure, it’s nice to have a part time job and have some small income, but unless it’s absolutely necessary, it’s more likely that the cost involved is either your social life or your academic performance.
This is to say that school is just as much about the social experience as other aspects [a fact that is overemphasized in today’s society]. The investment made in both these areas throughout your college career reap more returns than in any other time in your life.
To skip class, work too much, or even be a hermit and never leave your dorm room is simply foolish.
Next time you do any of the aforementioned, remind yourself that college is an experience followed by one of the best investment opportunities of your life, whose returns are based solely on your willingness to be disciplined, focused and forward-thinking.
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