WHAT IS STUDENT SUCCESS IN 2017?

The students of today – Gen Z (16-19) – find themselves in a tech and device driven ecosystem in school now and out when they get home. That comes with a lot of advantages, but also a lot of distractions and overload as well.

So in this 5 screen environment, how does one define student success?

We all define success differently by each of us in relation to our own benchmarks or life goals, our level of happiness, and maybe based on our overall look back at the life stage we are in. But as high schoolers heading off to college or late Gen Y'ers in their second half of college, it is important to understand the

2 core roots of student success today before defining it:

1. People
2. The Effort students put into meeting with targeted relevant people within their fields of curious interest, earlier then ever. And doing so with the focus to be asking the right questions prior to diving into life. We call that real world Info Interviews built on discovery and open dialogue fostering growth.

WE DEFINE STUDENT SUCCESS AS

Starting with a purpose now, from day 1. It is a series of signposts building from that moment through chapters today in 2017, that are rooted on a students early awareness, effort, and discovery to gain clarity from exposures and experiences to build on. Purpose now first.

A student's success today is measured by the amount of effort they put into building their own story, personal brand, building connections and inroads for more exposure early on, and taking those connections to foster real relationships with them.

Student Success today is about true connections with people more then ever. Using devices and tech to enhance and foster real relationships in person and via phone, not through platforms. It's about balance and awareness. It's not about resumes and cover letters. Student Success truly plays into real sincerity through the story that student tells today hitting on the "campaign" of discovery they are on, and knowing how to tell it to stand out. That's called purpose now and what many students lack.

Student Success is being defined by many colleges, 2 and 4 year alike slightly differently and seemingly with too many freedoms, which is a topic for another piece.

We see student success through the lens of real world professionals, recent post grads, and success advisors who value branding, marketing, and selling yourself to stand out and get ahead in this cluster of an ecosystem we are in. Early story + Early Prep equals a foundation built to be a successful student.

Here are 4 things to consider along with that definition:

SIGNPOSTS: For students today, student success can be defined very clearly through a series of signposts. Being able to look at those signposts along a path with effort helps them validate, eliminate, discover, and build on as many early exposures to people and environments as they can.

CHAPTERS, NOT CAREERS: Student success today is defined in chapters, not the word career! Why? Many traditional careers (and career paths) belong to yesterday. They are either being replaced, phased out, or require so much school that with tuition costs, a student simply cannot afford it.

KEY NEEDS: Student success today builds back on the essential human needs we all share at our core. Many students feel disconnected by today’s impersonal (but addicting) forms of communication. Paying attention to our 6 core needs again is more important now than ever. These needs are: Certainty. Uncertainty. Growth. Significance. Contribution. Connection/Love. Keeping them in balance as a constant checklist only helps fuel their success path.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: These are the students taking their future by the reigns by establishing themselves as young aspiring thought leaders taking bringing what they discover with them to the classroom. Who knows? Maybe even their professors will pick up a thing or two. 

Student Success today is rooted in effort through relevancy with people that can springboard students ahead. Showing students how to connect with people and practice key soft skills is the root of real student success through their ending high school and into college experiences to avoid time, overwhelm, and dollars wasted.

For More info on Student Success U, Group of 16 or less Coaching, and our summits, you can reach out to [email protected] as our site launches April 15th 2017.