Ways to get ahead in College and beyond
Economic mobility refers to the ability of individuals or groups of individuals associated with each other through a social bond; to bring about a change in their economic status through the income earned . Almost in all of the cases, individuals or groups (as in families) seek to gain an increase in their economic status, aiming for upward economic mobility. In today’s scenario, gaining higher education in a professional context is seen to be the most sought after attempt of attaining upward mobility . However, the important fact which needs to be highlighted is that due to immense competition in the professional context, a mere achievement of higher educational qualification is not enough. The focus should always be on how to stay ahead of the competition – in college as well as beyond college, as this will increase the chances of a better career which ultimately is associated with upward economic mobility. This paper presents a discussion on how the same can be achieved.
Especially for an individual, the competitive environment in terms of studies and career starts around end of high school, as one needs to be able to plan on the career sought and the desired professional engagement. It is well known that even admissions to most colleges and universities are based on evaluation (for example, in the form of admission essays and academic performance at primary level) and from there on competition starts. For much of the rest of life, the individual needs to compete with others to succeed in different professional settings. In reality, the real challenge is not always achievement of high performance, but understanding how to be able to achieve the same . At the most basic level, it is crucial for the individual to understand the importance of peers in social setting. It is because peers have a tremendous influence on the study habits and development of mindset in an academic setting. Encouragement and proper guidance is essential and this is the primary stone of establishment to the pillar of success. Individuals at colleges need to have a social company of positive peers which include family members, friends, mentors and teachers who need to show the right path, largely owing to the considerably more experience which they have when it comes to professionalism. So, when it comes to getting better grades and performing academically better than the rest, it is highly relevant that the individual is able to gather as much as input from elders (like mentors, teachers, parents) and encouragement from friends and social circle. Many believe that aiming for improvement on a regular basis is a habit which is influenced by the social circle of an individual . It is also important to be able to develop a positive attitude in studies and competition from an early age and be able to understand the relevance of setbacks and how to improve upon them.
Suggestions and recommendations related to career and education to an individual might seem irrelevant especially when he/she is unaware of the role it plays ion a socio-economic setting. This is one of the reasons why many universities and colleges across the nation focus on presenting the roles and responsibilities of different professions to its students and the returns (in terms of compensation) of the same. The initial aim is to be able to establish a sense of direction, as to what are the long term and short term aims of higher education and how to be able to achieve the same . Simply put, the onus should be on what is desired, and how to achieve the same. It needs to be highlighted that in a real professional setting, away from those of colleges and universities, an individual has to face challenges on his own. Being the best, or at least one of the best in college is only the first step in achievement of upward economic mobility. Why? It is because when organizations recruit fresh talent, they only want the best for their survival too. After being absorbed in the industry, there will be targets, setbacks, conflicts and a lot of challenges in everyday profession. The challenge here is to be able to deal with the same . While being the best in college in academics will help to secure a job, career advancement will not be dependent on academics alone. Academics might help one to be confident about the technical specifications of the job, but is not enough for working as part of a team and/or leading it, which will be expected of the individual sooner or later . It brings the discussion back to the importance of habits. While participation in group activities – academic and co-curricular – enhances leadership and interactive skills in an individual, withdrawal from the same will make him/her more reclusive and incompetent to work in a team or leadership environment where authority will not be submitted on the basis of mere qualifications. Also, aspects such as goal setting, time management and achievement of targets need to be inculcated from an early age. It would be actually beneficial when the individual nourishes these habits right from college days.
Works cited
Brand, J. and Xie, Y. “Who Benefits Most From College? Evidence for Negative Selection and in Heterogeneous Economic Returns to Higher Education.” American Sociological Review 75.2 (2010): 273-302. Print.
Fischer, C. S. and Hout, M. Century of Difference: How America Changed in the Last 100 Years. New York: Russell Sage, Web.2008.
Murray, C. Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality. New York: Crown Forum, WEb. 2008.
Roderick, M., Nagaoka, J. and Coca, V. “College Readiness for All: The Challenge for Urban High Schools.” Future of Children 19.2 (2009): 185-210. Print.
