3 Underrated Skills Every College Freshman Should Develop

The reality is that I’d do this for any student, but few students ask me.

I had a student come to my office after completing a project. She sat across from me asking what she could do to improve in specific areas.

This kind of student is exceptional, not because they necessarily earn perfect grades or act particularly intelligent in class (though sometimes they do).

They’re exceptional because few are willing to get advice on how they can improve weaker areas.

These students stick out how and when it matters. They make a good impression with skills that are sometimes underrated or overlooked until it matters.

So how can you become like these exceptional students? Discover 3 underrated skills that any student can develop below!

Being reliable

When you describe an ideal team member, roommate, or friend, you likely mention “reliability” as a key factor.

No one likes to work (or room) with someone who is unpredictable, inconsistent, or often absent.

Teachers also feel this way about students. We like having reliable students in our class.

Tracking down a student to turn in an assignment or make-up a test costs a teacher valuable time that they could spend investing in students who are eager to learn or need extra help.

(A good teacher is willing to pursue students to a certain extent, but it does require some persistence and extra time.)

So what are some ways you can demonstrate you’re a reliable student? Here are a few ideas…

• Turn in work on time (or ahead of time). Turning in your assignments, showing up the day you’re supposed to present, etc. is an easy way to show you are a reliable student. 

• Read directions and follow them. This may sound overly simplistic, but you’d be surprised how much time teachers spend repeating things already stated in class, written on the course syllabus, or stated on project instructions. Reading directions and following them helps you to stick out as a reliable student.

• Ask questions in advance. Freshmen who wait until the night before a due date to ask critical questions often indicate to a teacher that they don’t have good time management skills or don’t know how to set priorities. By simply asking questions with enough time to implement your teacher’s suggestions, you can save yourself extra struggle.

• Attend class consistently. Every school (and every teacher) has their own attendance policy. Some teachers seem not to care if you do or don’t come to class. While they might not necessarily “care,” they do notice. 

Taking the extra step

“Going the extra mile” is unusual because it takes extra effort, and many freshmen aren’t willing to exert extra effort.

(To be fair, sometimes freshmen have good reasons for saving their energy or effort for other activities.)

This skill also transfers into any other setting.

Think again about the qualities you’d want in an ideal team member. 

Would you prefer someone who completes the bare minimum or someone who’s willing to complete a step or two more to ensure success? 

You’d probably prefer the second. Teachers prefer this in a student too.

How can you take simple extra steps as a college freshman? Here are a few ideas…

• Be inquisitive. Questions like “will we need to know this for the test?” tend to lower the level of learning in the classroom. Focusing on learning instead of getting good grades can help to raise the level of learning in the classroom. So when appropriate, ask questions that go beyond the surface level or go by your professor’s office hour to discuss a topic more in-depth.

• Ask for more feedback. Like the student I described at the beginning of this post, asking your teacher for more detail on how you can grow or improve shows you’re willing to go the extra step.

• Read more than required. Reading ahead can sometimes get you into trouble in class, but reading things that are in addition to the required reading can help you stick out as someone who is invested in their education.

• Apply your current context to the curriculum. When students “connect the dots” between what their courses cover and life, they communicate a higher level of investment that is not only refreshing to a teacher but is also beneficial to them as an individual.

Evaluating how their behavior impacts others

How you act or don’t act often affects those around you.

So how do you think people feel after spending time around you?

Do they find themselves encouraged, anxious, intimidated, inspired, etc.?

While you cannot control how people react or respond to your behavior, you can adjust your behavior to be a positive influence on those around you.

So who does your behavior impact? Here are a few individuals your behavior can impact…

• Your professors/instructors: Believe it or not, your behavior does impact your college teachers. You have the potential to encourage, motivate, and even empower your teacher to succeed. 

• Your classmates: Every class has its own “personality,” meaning the students that make up a class create an atmosphere that can better help learning happen. The quality of class discussion, student questions, and even student work can tremendously affect how much learning happens.

• Your roommates: Even a seemingly apathetic or absent roommate is influenced by having you as a roommate. Your behavior and character can set a positive example that impacts them far beyond the months you live together.

You can “get by” with average effort. You can complete all your college years without developing these three skills.

But you’ll also have limited impact on those around you. You’ll limit your learning experience and college experience. 

So if you want to be someone who makes a mark on the world around them…

If you want to be someone who influences those around you for good…

If you want to be viewed as a valuable team member…

Make developing these skills a priority in your college years!

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