At one point or another throughout your college career, you will speak with an advisor to help guide you through coursework and planning or have conversations with a professor about opportunities to advance in your educational goals. Regardless of whom you speak to, you will receive good or bad criticism that may impact your feelings about certain decisions. This impact ultimately affects the way you go about making decisions. Here are some tips to reflect on that allow you to keep your headspace while also being cognizant of the criticism your advisor or mentor may tell you.
Their Idea of You is Not the End of All Means.
Your advisor or mentor's opinion about you or your efforts is not the final say-so of whether you prevail or fail. Some professors may say that they do not believe you can excel in one area because it was not your strong suit. They may say that your quality of work does not meet the requirements that they require. This does not mean you cannot succeed. There will always be someone who thinks more or less of you. Whether right or wrong, people will have their own opinions.
Conversely, these same individuals may praise you for your work and ability so much that they promise recommendations and additional opportunities along the way. The only problem here is that once people hear these things, they yield in productivity and rely on the network of those they turn towards for the connection. Your fluidity through various pursued paths depends on you and your ability. Relying on others could shadow your work and ability. Be the best you can be, with or without their support. Build and market yourself, so no matter what biases advisors and mentors have, you can overcome them.
I remember when a professor said that I would not be able to do this or that as a student and most likely would be unsuccessful in pursuing graduate school. However, I built myself up by working hard at what I did and patiently waiting for my time to demonstrate everything I learned in the process. Their negativity fueled my desire to succeed. I hope this article conveys the message of never quitting, even when adversity seems so prevalent.
Find an Alternative Path to Your Dreams.
Sometimes things go differently than we want them to. Advisors and mentors may not keep their word on sending the recommendation or choosing another student as a candidate for an award. Finding someone or something else that can recognize your value is best. Because it always seems like there is only one way to get to our goals, we tend to give up on pursuing the goal when unfortunate events like these occur.
There are so many ways to pursue a goal. We just choose which option is more comfortable for us. However, we have to step out of our box sometimes. This usually instills growth and rewards much wisdom thereafter. Some people will see your worth and choose you. The time and path you take are not things to be wary of. They are the only ways to understand the experience.
In my current situation, I am applying to a higher education program, but I do not have all of the necessary requirements for the program yet. To fulfill the remaining requirements, I am taking additional coursework and working jobs within the career field for experience before applying to the program. Although I already have a degree related to the program, I missed some necessary components of the new program that I need as prerequisites to what I will be learning. I may not have had everything I needed, but I will get more than I initially expected. In return for patience and a delayed experience, I get more education in a field of study and opportunities to network and build my resume, aiding my submission portfolio.
You are the Ultimate Determinant of Your Success.
Hard work and dedication are key components to being successful in whatever it is that you do. If you strive to be successful at what you want in all the right ways, you will be able to do whatever it is that you want. People can disagree or deny you, but you can demonstrate why they should agree and accept you. No one can hinder you or your process if you focus on what you want to do, and I implore you never to let anyone tell you otherwise. Someone will notice your work ethic and abilities when you consistently maintain your poise. Soon after, you will be rewarded for doing something second nature. Obstacles come, but none persist when you pursue higher levels of success.
There have been many obstacles that I have faced where I did not have m any paths to success. Many odds were stacked against me, and my options for better pathways were limited. I made well-thought decisions on the things I pursued and worked hard to be the best I could be at them. Despite how negative people could be towards me, I was not denied many things I wanted because I worked for the acknowledgment to do so. I worked so no one could determine how successful I would be. It all was determined by my efforts. I hope that this inspires you to do so too.
In conclusion, your advisors and mentors can either negatively or positively impact your decisions when you pursue your goals. Their opinions of you are not the only doors to successfully pursuing your dreams. They are merely under-toned or over-toned modes of encouragement. Take them at face value, but do not rely on them as your only possibility. This leaves room for you to develop other plans in case the first one does not work. Having alternative plans is not bad at all.
It leaves room for error without confusion and anxiety along the way. I made some remarks to the reader to be the best they could be and not allow others to determine their successes because I believe that people are becoming the determinants of their successes. They must be able to put in the hard work and dedication to the success that they wish to reach. There is so much possibility in the things people can do when they remove limitations on themselves. I hope this article moves you to start the removal.
