Success is in the eye of the beholder; one can feel successful by making it to school on time today, while others can feel successful by completing their 5:30am pilates, acing their tests, and finishing all their homework before a 2 hour practice. Everyone guides different paths and success stories, but why do we judge them all on the same scale?
Some students no longer feel the need to try in school. Why put forth the effort when they can slide by with average grades and still progress to higher education, military, or other routes. We can confidently argue, however, that these average grades bring average lives. If we are subjecting ourselves to “average,” will we in turn settle for average in our social and professional lives? The phrase: “C’s get degrees”, among other things, is thrown around school to express the average mentality many students struggle with.
On the other hand, how do we know for certain that our academic achievements will certainly guarantee our success? Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school, Walt Disney dropped out of high school, Mark Zuckerburg quit Harvard. These individuals and many others did not fail just because they rejected the traditional path of higher education but rather because they believed they were able to become something more than what a diploma could subject them to. There is something that successful dropouts and successful degree-holders have in common: a passion and a strong desire for perfection in their respective fields.
Take for example Ralph Lauren, one of America’s most renowned designers who dropped out of college to enlist in the army. Many college students about to enter their junior year are most likely looking at jobs and future plans. Although risky, Ralph Lauren took a chance that resulted in a whole new era of the fashion industry. According to his biography, “Designing men’s ties out of a drawer in the Empire State Building, he relied on instinct; weaving his beliefs about life and style to capture the American dream using color, fabric, and design, and he’s never looked back.” While it may not be true that an A in Biology 101 will make one the best future doctors in the country, it is respectable to assume that the discipline and dedication accumulated from working hard for what is truly meaningful is what will inevitably lead to success.
In regards to the C’s get degrees mindset, if we walk into a class with the mindset that we only need to pass, to just move mindlessly to the next milestone, we limit ourselves to striving for perfection. An A is not a necessity for success, but aiming for that is what creates Jeff Bezos, Michelle Obama, and other successful people we align with. This applies to more than college; if we go into life settling for the minimum, we limit our ability to learn and grow.
Regardless of how one defines success we must be mindful that the path towards it requires discipline, perseverance, and a relentless work ethic is what will give us this guarantee.