The Path to Academic Success
By Macy Slaughter, University of Tennessee at Martin TSCPA Student Ambassador
Academic success is something most of us try to achieve by checking off a hypothetical list of things we can do to help us reach our goals. Most students have a preconceived notion that studying every night and focusing the majority of our time on our classes leads to academic success. I am here to tell you that from my personal experience, that is not completely correct. Now, this is by no means to say that studying is not important - it is vital to academic success - but it is in no way the only or even main factor of achieving success academically.
To me, the most important aspect of achieving academic success is choosing a path that is natural for you. Comparing the scores of students isn’t always a correct depiction of which student is more “intelligent,” because you wouldn’t judge a fish on its ability to fly, now would you? The same goes for us as individuals. Each individual person has his or her own set of capabilities. Different people are good at different things, and it is up to you to determine what you are good at. Not what mom and dad want you to do, not what your best friend is doing and not what makes the most money. Personally, I’m a numbers gal. Numbers are honest, and they are consistent, and these are two of my favorite things. Ever since I was in the third grade, I knew that whatever I did, I wanted math to be involved. I was good at it, I understood it, I liked it, and therefore I was successful in my endeavor.
Before I started college my parents really wanted me to go into nursing. They thought it would be a good career path because it was stable, and I could find a job anywhere. I knew I could make it through the classes because I’ve always been naturally good at test taking, but I had to ask myself: Will I enjoy what I’m learning? Inevitably, the answer was no. I do not like science, the vernacular confuses me, and I am genuinely not interested in the material that I would have to be studying. As a result, I knew my GPA would suffer (which would cause me stress), and I would have to work so much harder for those grades.
I decided to go with a different career path that was like nursing in that it was stable, and I could find a job anywhere, but it was by no means the same. The path that I chose was accounting and finance, and I could not have made a better choice. My classes are very interesting to me. I love learning the material. I love being able to understand economic policies and why some businesses fail and others succeed, as I come from a family of entrepreneurs. Not only that, but I am also able to help my friends make better choices financially and understand tax benefits of certain purchases and transactions.
Because I chose a path I am passionate about, I have been able to maintain a 4.0 GPA for my entire college career. Yes, some of that comes from natural ability, and yes, I definitely do my fair share of studying, but I am also able to have a life because I chose something I’m good at. I go out with my friends, I am very active in my sorority, I take many experiential learning trips with my school, and I still make time to come home and see my parents. I am able to do so much and still maintain my grades because I love what I am studying. I am eager to understand, and once I do, I am excited to learn more. Not because I just love learning, but because I love the concepts that I’m studying.
Academic success will come naturally to you as long as you pursue what is natural to you.