Dear Student:

Thanks for writing RealWorld University. Per your request, here are some pointers to keep in mind as you prepare and deliver your next presentation:

1. Remember, it’s called “PUBLIC” speaking, not “SELF” speaking, so focus all your energy and attention into the message, not yourself. In other words, lose yourself in the message to a point that you can see and hear yourself giving your talk. As long as you are self-conscious about how you look, sound, and come across, your message will suffer.

2. In corporate humor, but carefully. While you’re outlining your presentation, if you think of something funny, put it in (but only if it reinforces your point). Use anecdotes, not jokes — leave that to the professionals.

3. Keep it interesting. Talk about things your audience is familiar with. Get them involved by asking them questions and getting them to participate (but always stay in control). Use examples and stories that they can relate to. Always try to give people a reason to listen. Which leads to my next point…

4. Use a lot of support for your presentation. If you’re giving an informative talk, demonstrate your points physically, visually or emotionally. If you’re giving a persuasive talk, support it with facts, statistics (not too many), and data that might be somewhat shocking to them. Tell stories that will bring your message alive. Use comparison and contrast, analogies and metaphors, and anything else you can think of to get your point across.

5. Structure your talk. Make your presentation easy to follow by telling them how many points you will be making (no more than 3 to 5). Verbally hold their hand through your presentation. You know your talk is well structured when you forget a point or place, and the audience can remind you.

6. Keep practicing. I’ve given over 300 presentations (maybe more), and I still practice and rehearse before I get on stage or even step into the classroom. You’re never to good not to practice. Know your presentation inside out (but without memorizing it word for word — that’s a no no).

7. Have a strong introduction that will grab the audience by the throat, and don’t let them go until you’re done. That was the most important lesson I ever learned about public speaking. Don’t ever start a presentation by saying hello or introducing yourself (save it after you’ve grabbed their attention). Let the first words out of your mouth be interesting (a story, a poem, a question, a quote, a prop, etc.). You will have the audience eating out of your hand when you learn to master this.

8. Explode with enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is contagious, but so is boredom. And you won’t get the audience excited about your message unless you’re excited about it first. Fall in love with your message, and get pumped about it. The way you get excited about a presentation is to learn something that most people don’t know, but should. It’s your job to share your findings with them, knowing that the information could possibly change their lives. Now, isn’t that exciting?

9. Keep eye contact. Don’t rely on your notes, rely on your knowledge and preparation. The more you look at your audience, the more you engage them and bring them into your presentation (also, it’s harder for them to fall asleep during your talk). Don’t stare (that will make you nervous), just glance at the entire room.

10. Close as strong as you opened. Review your 3 to 5 points and then close with something they will remember: a strong quote, a strong call for action (challenge them to do something), a poem, a story, a dramatization, etc. Most people will only remember the beginning of you presentation and the end, so make both memorable.

Here are some additional tips for you:

If you follow these tips and keep them in mind as you prepare and give your presentation, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the results. As always, live purposefully.

Professor Martin.

Since I’ve been in college, I’ve had quite a few “miscellaneous” relationships that have ended in disappointment. However, to have your heart broken is entirely another experience. To have your heart broken means that you’ve exposed yourself in the most vulnerable ways to someone you perceived as worthy. Personally, to have my heart broken means that I’ve allowed my heart’s protective barrier to not only be penetrated, but to be torn down completely.

Broken hearts, many times, result in broken spirits, and your spirit is what characterizes your personality and the functions of your mind. A broken spirit makes us question areas in our life we once thought were secure and stable. We subconsciously find ourselves asking “Why?” when there’s really no logical explanation. Those of us who have encountered broken hearts must go through a reconstructive period, piecing back together our lives, our identities, our perceptions, and our independence.

A dear friend of mine was plagued with a broken heart, and all I could do was offer her words of encouragement. It was not my place, or anyone else’s place as a friend, to criticize her and the choices she had made in her relationship. Though it is hard to avoid being judgmental when a loved one has been hurt, it was my responsibility as a friend to let her grieve in her own way. All I could do was offer my ear to listen, my shoulder on which she could lean and cry, and my encouraging words with hopes of enlighten her darkness. This is what I wrote her:

Know yourself, love yourself, and appreciate yourself.

Don’t internalize other people’s faults into your perception of self. Capitalize on your abilities and continue to shine like the star that you are. Don’t allow your surface to become dull with bitterness when your radiance has served as a guiding light for so many others.

Come to the realization that “Why?” is a rhetorical question.

It is not for you to answer. Love is not logical. Love is not rational. Answers that seem nonexistent mysteriously become evident over time.

Take time to hear.

Take time to analyze and evaluate. Take time to define yourself as an individual. Don’t let an unfortunate twist of fate regulate the unlimited assets you possess.

Be a diamond in the rough.

Be the color purple standing out from all others. Be a woman among girls. Be love and all that it has to offer. Be you and be comfortable with you.

You are a prize, a gift from God. Accept your significance, and don’t allow the benefits reaped from your essence to be taken for granted. You are love, and don’t ever forget it.

This article is dedicated to my friend, Tamesha Murray.

Schannon is a RealWorld University student intern and senior public relations major at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. She is a native of Detroit, Michigan.

Written by Lee LeBlanc

What you “think” while you workout is just as important as working out itself. Both are very crucial to getting the greatest benefits from your exercise routine. In fact, if you let your mind wander while you’re exercising, you will burn less calories than if you focus on the exercise and the muscle you’re working. The same goes for breathing; if you breathe shallow, you won’t take in enough oxygen to fuel your hard working muscles, thus burning less calories.

Here are some techniques I use to get the most out of my workouts.  Most are phrases I say anywhere between 3-10 times a piece as I workout. (Use this list or create your own power statements):

I am strong.

I am getting stronger each time I come to the gym.

I feel like working out today and challenging MY body.

I feel my muscles warming up.

I feel alive, powerful, healthy.

I am proud of my body and that I am in the gym – instead of watching TV.

I love coming to the gym and investing in MY body.

I will focus my mind on each muscle that I work. (Note: while you’re working out, say this at the start of each exercise. Then picture — while working out — in your mind the body part you are working.)

I am making progress and I know it takes time.

I will breathe deep. I feel my stomach expand. I feel my lungs pull the oxygen into my body. I feel my energy. (Say this as you take 10 deep breaths. Breathing in and out slowly, let your breath gently leave. Do this several times while you are in the gym and out of the gym.)

I can do this now.

I will do this now.

I believe in my determination.

I am a strong, proud woman/man.

I am a strong, proud, student/mother/etc.

I will have a fun and challenging workout today.

Building Body, Mind and Soul,
-LL.

Lee LeBlanc is a student at Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft Myers, Florida. He’s currently working on his personal training certificate and a bachelor’s degree in a communication discipline. ]]> http://www.rwuniversity.com/?feed=rss2&p=424 4 http://www.rwuniversity.com/?p=369 http://www.rwuniversity.com/?p=369#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:00:13 +0000 admin http://www.rwuniversity.com/?p=369 When you plant this garden, may God richly bless you in your sincere endeavor.

Plant three rows of squash:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash criticism
3. Squash indifference

Plant seven rows of peas:
1. Prayer
2. Promptness
3. Perseverance
4. Politeness
5. Preparedness
6. Purity
7. Patience

Plant seven heads of lettuce:
1. Let us be unselfish and loyal
2. Let us be faithful to duty
3. Let us search the scriptures
4. Let us not be weary in well doing
5. Let us be obedient in all things
6. Let us be truthful
7. Let us love one another

No garden is complete without turnips:
1. Turn up for church
2. Turn up for meetings, in prayer, and Bible study
3. Turn up with a smile, even when things are difficult
4. Turn up with determination to do your best in God’s service.

After planting, may you grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18.) And may you reap rich results.

“The measure of a person’s character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.”

If God was sitting right next to you and said, “I want to use you, to work with you and through you in order for you to build my kingdom in heaven and serve others here on earth.”

1.) Would you accept His offer?

If yes, what if God responded, “If you accept this, I’m willing to give YOU the choice of how you would best want to serve Me and others (in any way your heart desires based on you unique gifts).”

2.) How would you choose to serve Him and humanity?

3.) In what setting (type of environment) would you want serve in (be specific)?

4.) If money and time was not a concern, would you be willing to serve in this way and in this type of setting for free and forever?

5.) Why would you want to serve in this way?

After you write your answer(s), compare your responses to your purpose (i.e., calling). Are your responses consistent with your purpose? If so, you’ve hit your passion. You are on the road to living your purpose. If your responses are not consistent with your purpose, you have to reassess your gifts (i.e., talents, skills, and abilities), as well as your motives behind using them.

Please let me know how everything works out after you complete this short exercise. Thank you again for visiting our campus, and please share the RWU gift with your friends. Best of luck to your future, and may you be richly blessed. Live purposefully!

Listed below are some strategies that will help you uncover your uniqueness. How you choose to use those gifts to serve others will be entirely up to you.

Please start by doing the following:

1. Eliminate all distractions (no phone, television, music, etc.). Find a quiet place.

2. Imagine you just woke up from a coma, and you don’t remember your friends, enemies, family, society norms and/or expectations (you only remember what you’re good at and what you love to do).

3. Pretend you only have one year to live (in perfect health), and your bills and other financial responsibilities are of no concern to you.

4. Pray to God that He will reveal your purpose through these questions.

5. Suspend all judgment as you answer each question listed below (i.e., answer with your heart, not with your head — that’s how God speaks to us).

6. Be totally honest with yourself as you answer each question. Set aside some time (however long it takes) to write down your responses (don’t erase). Good luck!

Investigative Questions: Who are you?

1. If you had the time, what would you most want to study, practice, master, or research deeply? What would you want to be an expert in?

2. What activities do you engage in or talk about, and you lose track of all sense of time?

3. What particular skill(s) or ability(ies) have you received the most compliments?

4. If money wasn’t a concern, what work would you be willing to do for FREE?

5. What personal talents, skills, and abilities do YOU have the most confidence in?

6. What ONE thing would you dare to attempt if you could not fail?

7. If you only had six months to live (in perfect health), other than family and spiritual activities, what activities or tasks would you engage in?

8. Describe the “perfect JOB” (not life) in terms of duties, activities, and responsibilities.

9. What professional activities give you the greatest pleasure, makes you the happiest, gives you the most fulfillment, greatest peace of mind, and the most satisfaction?

10. From your previous responses, what activities/skills tend to be repeating themselves (list them here and use them while answering questions 11 – 15)?

Commitment Questions: How committed are you?

11. Are you willing to dedicate your life to this? (i.e., is the reward worth the risk?)

12. Are you willing to pay the price for it (i.e., sacrifice, face your fears, break bad habits, make necessary changes, make tough decisions, handle the setbacks, etc.)?

13. Have you ever envisioned yourself doing this (i.e., can you FEEL it, SEE it and DESCRIBE it in great detail, and even almost TOUCH it)?

14. If you won the lotto tomorrow, would you still pursue it?

15. Is this something you FEEL you MUST do? Does it FEEL right?

If you are still unsure about your “calling,” proceed to questions 16 – 28.

If you are pretty certain about your calling at this point, proceed to questions 29 – 33.

Still uncertain? See if these questions can help. Again, write down your responses.

Additional Investigative Questions: Who are you?

16. If God were to tell you right now that it would be possible for you to accomplish one great thing while you’re here on earth, what would you want it to be?

17. What five wonderful things could God do with you, for you, through you, in you, for the rest of your life?

18. What are you confident in doing now that you knew nothing about a few years ago?

19. What are the greatest opportunities for you in each of the following areas: 1.) your family; 2.) your job; 3.) your church; 4.) your community?

20. What crazy ideas about your future have you dismissed recently? Why?

21. What talents and/or abilities seem to naturally flow out of you?

22. In what areas do you normally produce good results?

Passion Questions: What gets your juices flowing?

23. What do you think about when you lie awake at night just staring at the ceiling?

24. What kind of issues, needs, opportunities, activities, and ideas really motivate you and seem to give you energy?

25. What things/issues deeply concern you?

26. What dreams or visions are almost impossible to put out of your head?

27. To what can you give a 100% of yourself for your whole life?

28. From your previous responses, what activities, skills, and/or ideas, tend to be repeating themselves (list them now and use them while answering questions 11 – 15 on the previous page)?

Integrity Questions: Who are you “really” serving?

Your purpose is only as pure as your motives. Your gifts can either be used positively or negatively. Before you begin your journey in pursuit of purpose, you should honestly ask and answer the following questions (write it down):

29. Why do I really want to do this?

30. Am I doing this for my own selfish desires?

31. Will I be able to put God first in my life if I pursue this?

32. Would I be able to use my gifts and talents if I pursued this?

33. Would this bring out the best in me?

“The purpose of life is to have a life with a purpose.” – Robert Byrne

Believe it or not, this is only the beginning. Pursuing your purpose is a life-long process (but an exciting and very fulfilling one). After you have identified your talents, abilities, and skills (i.e., gifts), you must ask yourself: How can I use these gifts to serve others while serving my creator?

If you went through this exercise honestly, thoroughly, and ambitiously, I’m sure you have many questions. If so, please feel free to e-mail me your questions. I will do my best to respond to each of your questions as soon as I possibly can. Remember, the only dumb question is the one you DON’T ask; because if you don’t ask, you still don’t know.

Thanks for dropping by RWU. Please come again, and next time tell a friend.

And as always, live purposefully.

God Bless!

“You’re not listening to me.”
“Did you even hear a word that I said?”
“You’re missing the point.”
“Why do I even bother trying to communicate with you?”

If you have half a pulse, and you’ve actually interacted with other human beings, then you’ve either uttered some of these words to someone in total frustration, or worse, someone has uttered them to you with equal disdain.

There are a lot of things that can cause you to go “postal” as a student leader, from irresponsible student officers to apathetic faculty members. But nothing seems to hurt us more to the core than when our ideas and concerns are blatantly ignored or attacked.

Think about it…remember the last time you came up with a suggestion that could possibly increase student involvement, save the organization money, prevent a PR nightmare, or even make an event more successful? Then what happened? You and your ideas were either ignored like last year’s losing lottery ticket or they were attacked like they were a threat to national security.

Next to breathing, being heard and sincerely listened to is one of our deepest human emotional needs. When someone really gets your message and “feels you,” you feel valued and appreciated. And when they don’t listen to you, you feel unimportant and disregarded. Ever since we were kids, we’ve been striving to be heard, seen, and acknowledged. And although we don’t cry about it like babies anymore when we’re ignored, the pain is just as real today as it was then.

Ironically, when students usually ask me about becoming a more effective communicator, most want to know things like how to overcome the fear of public speaking or how to become more assertive and persuasive in a debate. To their surprise, I always tell them that the courage to speak must also be matched by the wisdom to listen.

Let’s face it, if you’re going to be an effective student leader, you must first master the art of listening before you can master the art of leadership. A leader without any followers is just a person taking a long walk…alone.

As I mentioned earlier, listening is at the core of our being; it’s also the most frequent form of communication among humans. We spend more than 75% of our waking hours listening, but less than 1% of our school time learning about it. I’m no math genius, but those numbers don’t reflect good common sense.

If you want your ideas and concerns to be heard and valued, you must first be willing to appreciate the ideas and concerns of others. It all starts with effective listening skills. The truth of the matter is that when you speak, you only know what you know, but when you listen, you learn what others know. Listed below are eight proven strategies you can use to become a more effective listener, thus improving your effectiveness as a student leader:

1. Listen with your heart, not just your head.

Some people have turned “fake listening” into an art form, with their orchestrated nods, perfectly-timed “okays,” and “you’re rights.” No one likes to talk to someone who’s mind is always somewhere else other than in their conversation. Listen “in the moment’ by stopping whatever you’re doing, facing the person, and giving the person direct eye contact.

2. Don’t just be interesting, be interested.

If you really want to give someone your undivided attention, listen so you can ask questions about what they’re saying. Watch how the other person responds when you demonstrate not only that you heard him, but you understood him as well.

3. Take action to avoid distractions.

Hunger cramps, fatigue, television noise, music, cold temperature, time pressures, slang, and several other factors are all considered communication barriers. Try to eliminate as many of them as possible “before” you engage someone in a conversation.

4. Persistently practice patience.

We can hear twice as fast as we speak, and this usually causes us to become easily bored. This explains why some teachers can cure insomnia. Don’t ever rush the speaker to “get to the point” (regardless how tempting it is). Try to listen for benefits that will serve you and your goals. You can start by always asking yourself, “What can I learn from this person?”

5. Keep your mind open and your mouth shut.

Nothing stops us from listening quicker than an opinion that is in total opposition to our own. Hold your judgement, and try your best to look at the situation from “their” point of view. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. You’re not always right…but they’re not always wrong either.

6. Listen between the lines.

We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” To take this cliche even a step further, it’s also what they “don’t say” that can be just as important. Make sure what people say and “don’t say” to you are consistent with their body language, eye movement, tone of voice, and speaking rate.

7. Focus on the content, not just the character.

Avoid stereotyping people based on how they sound. Southerners are not “always” less intelligent, a person who speaks French is not “always” more romantic, someone who uses slang is not “always” uneducated, and so on. Listen to the person, not the dialect. If you don’t understand, ask for clarification.

8. Put your ego on hold.

The next time you find yourself in a conversation with someone, pretend you’re both on a huge stage in front of a thousand people. Whenever one of you speaks, the spotlight is focused on that person. Your goal is to keep the spotlight off you as much as possible. You can only do this by listening.

As with any other skill, listening takes practice, patience, and persistence. If you focus on mastering these eight strategies, you are well on your way to becoming a student of influence. Not every good listener is an effective leader, but believe me, every effective leader is a good listener. So get going and start leading by listening.

Professor Joe Martin is the founder and president of RealWorld University (www.rwuniversity.com) – the largest college student success center on the Internet. He teaches communications and public relations at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not much of a risk taker. Honestly speaking, I think this has a lot to do with my fear of making the wrong decisions. I’m currently trying to de-condition my pessimistic ways of thinking, so that I may begin seeing the hypothetical glass as being half full, rather than half empty.

My father always says that the people who take risks are the ones with the best stories to tell, and when I think about it, he’s absolutely right. Success rarely falls into people’s laps; successful people have usually worked hard and have taken many risks to get to where they are.

Uncertainty and fear are usually a college student’s worst enemies because they hinder us from reaching our full potential. We’re imprisoned by the question, “What if I’m wrong?” This is our biggest mistake. Rather than dwelling on the possibilities of failure, we should concentrate on the benefits of success. Therefore, we should be asking, “What if I’m right?” If we don’t believe ourselves, neither will anyone else. So in order to achieve our vision, we must believe in them first.

Risks are full of lessons that impact our growth and development, as well as our perceptions. Analyzing reasons for wanting to do something should determine whether it’s worth the risk. If risks are motivated by a personable passion, then we must learn to step out on faith. When you feel something churning in your soul, and your heart and mind are in accord, faith allows you to believe in the intangible. If this feeling is present, it’s almost impossible to avoid taking the risk.

Accomplishments that stem from taking risks build our confidence and willingness to step out on faith. There’s nothing more rewarding than having our efforts result in achievement. Though all risks will not be rewarding, we should appreciate the experience and walk away with something positive.

When taking risks, always remember:

1. Analyze your reasons for wanting to take a risk. . . your purpose should not be self-centered, but reflective of all who will be affected.

2. Consider the best and worst case scenarios. . .and if the rewards outweigh the regrets, GO FOR IT!

3. Don’t allow your dreams to be swept away — You can’t let yourself or anyone else talk you out of your vision. The most influential people in life have been courageous risk takers.

4. If you decide to take a risk, focus on the positive. . .Believe it, and you will achievement it.

5. Be persistent and confident when taking a risk. . . Conduct formal or informal research using available resources, aggressively pursue what you believe in, and STEP OUT ON FAITH!

6. If you find that you’re running the wrong race, realize that God allows U-turns. . . Even if you’re not always right, you get a spiritual “A” for effort.

7. Understand that every path you choose involves a learning experience. . .Even mistakes will inevitably lead to valuable lessons in other aspects of your life.

8. TALK TO GOD. . .ask and you shall receive!

Above all, remember that in order to get the best fruit in life, you must be willing to go out on a limb; or you can just sit around and wait until they [fruit] fall off the tree (rotten and spoiled).

Schannon is a RealWorld University student intern and senior public relations major at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. She is a native of Detroit, Michigan.

Thank you for visiting RealWorld University where success is the only major. Please come back again, and next time share us with a friend. Live purposefully.

What is the biggest lie you’ve ever been told? Santa Claus? The Tooth Fairy? The Easter Bunny? Yeah, those were big, but I’ve never heard of anyone failing in life because their mother lied about old St. Nick.

The lie that has had the greatest impact on my life, was the lie that “Experience is the best teacher.” You’re probably saying to yourself, “What are you talking about, experience is the best teacher.” Well I beg to differ, and I hope this article gives you some food for thought.

First of all, experience is not the “best” teacher. It’s a “good” teacher, but not the best. A better teacher is “other people’s experience.” I call this the O-P-E Principle. Matter of fact, I believe that you should only learn from your own experience if it’s the “only” teacher available. But most of the time, it’s not.

Learning from other people’s experience can help you achieve more, faster, by cutting your life’s learning curve in half and also sparing you a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering. Haven’t you heard some of the most successful people you know say, “I wouldn’t be here today, if it wasn’t for the people who had gone before me.”? Now you ask yourself, do you really think you have to repeat the mistakes that others have made in order to succeed? No, that’s ridiculous. But society would have us believe it’s the best way to learn. I believe if you’re going to make a mistake, try to make it a new one.

At the age of 24, I became the youngest professor ever hired to teach full- time at a state university in Florida. Some people, even colleagues, thought I was some kind of genius or well connected. Just the contrary, I was a typical college student. However, what set me apart was the fact that I knew exactly what I wanted to do at an early age, and I learned from some of the best people who were already doing. That’s it.

Still not convinced about eliminating “experience is the best teacher” lie? Let me ask you this, have you ever gone to prison before? If not, would you like to go for five to 10 years? I didn’t think so. Well, let me ask you this, do you know someone or about someone who has gone to prison before? In your personal opinion, do you think prison is a good or bad place to be? Now here’s the key question, how do you “really” know if it’s a good or bad place if you’ve never “experienced” it for yourself? That’s right, what you know and how you feel about prison is a result of what you’ve seen, read, or heard about it. In other words, you’ve learned from the experience of others, not your own.

Now if you’d prefer to learn from the so-called “best teacher,” experience, why don’t you go out and do something that will land you in prison just to prove that prison is as bad as society says it is? I know it sounds crazy, but that’s how we sound when we encourage people to learn by experience. Again, experience is a good teacher if it’s the only teacher that’s available. As a young man growing up in the ghetto, I buried five of my friends before I was 16 years old. They all died from being shot. Why in the world would I have to “experience” being shot myself to realize that it could put me in an early grave? This O-P-E Principle has impacted my life more than I could ever explain in a lifetime, let alone an article. I encourage you to really think about it.

Using the O-P-E Principle, here are five of the simplest, but most powerful, success steps you can take right now as a college student that could change your life forever:

Step #1: Determine exactly what it is you want out of life, and write it down. I believe that If you don’t know, you can’t grow.

Step #2: Question your motives for what you want, and write it down. Ask yourself, do you want this to serve others or yourself? If your reasons are primarily self-serving, the success won’t last.

Step #3: Find out who’s getting the results you want and make a list of their names. If you can’t find someone who has achieved the success you want, don’t stop until you do. Whatever you want to do, someone has probably done it before and has done it successfully.

Step #4: Find out specifically, how and what they did to get the results you want. Read their books, listen to their tapes, interview them, write them, get introduced to them, beg them if you have to.

Step #5: Take action on the information they gave you in step #4, and stay committed to the answer you gave in step #5.

This is not rocket science, but many people spend their lives bitter, miserable, and resentful because they never learned from the successes and failures of others. I tell my students that there are only two ways to learn in life: you can either buy the experience or borrow it. Unless you have money and time to burn, I encourage you to “borrow” as much experience as possible. It’s one of the few things in life that will never put you in debt.

Look forward to much more information on this topic from RealWorld University. We’ll be bringing you information, ideas, and strategies from some of the world’s leading experts and authorities in this field and many others. We believe that experience may be a good teacher, but other people’s experience is a better teacher. Our motto at RWU is, “The key to wisdom is knowing where to look for the answers.” Thanks for dropping by RealWorld University. Come back soon, and tell a friend. Remember to live purposefully. God bless!

I am having a difficult time choosing between two great colleges. I have been accepted at both, how do I choose?

Dear RealWorld Student:

Imagine driving alone down a long, dark road, and suddenly, you approach a crossroad sign. One of the signs is pointing east and the other west. You’re lost, without a road map, and there’s a smaller sign below the crossroad sign that reads, “There’s not another exit for 200 miles.”

As scary as that sounds, that’s kind of the situation that you’re in right now. Although the decision you’re about to make in choosing which college to attend can be life-changing, it isn’t life threatening. And that’s important to understand. Even if you choose wrong, it’s not impossible to make a U-turn (it’s just time consuming).

Therefore, here’s something to consider as you put your choices to the test. I faced a similar decision when I was in college (big school vs. small school and private vs. public), and I really believe my choice paid off (literally) for me. I hope you experience similar success.

First of all, before you pick a college, determine your passion. In other words, ask yourself, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Of course, I’m being facetious, but I think you get my point. Think about it this way, if you never had to worry about money for as long as you live, what kind of work would you want to do professionally? In other words, what type of work gives you the most pleasure? What kind of work would allow you to use your talents, skills, and gifts to the fullest?

Now if you choose unemployment as your career option, your choice is quite simple, don’t go to college at all.

Secondly, what major(s) best fit your passion? For me, I loved speaking and writing — getting in front of a group of people and making a positive impression on them, inspiring them to live up to their potential. Therefore, either communication or education was the best major for me (not a perfect fit, but close enough). I chose communication as my major.

Thirdly, what colleges are considered to be in the top ten in relation to the major(s) you identified? Hopefully, the two colleges you are undecided on will fall into this category.

Fourth, schedule time to talk with the department chair of the major you’re considering for each college on your list (in your case, just those two). It’s always great to visit the campus before you commit to any college. Brochures (nor websites) don’t always show the full picture.

Finally, if for some reason, your top two are still running neck and neck, weigh the intangibles: How’s the social climate (ex. culturally diverse)? Do they offer clubs (not night clubs) or associations you might be interested in? How’s the customer service (i.e., administrators and staff)? How user friendly is the library? As a whole, how user friendly is the campus?

Of course, there’s more to choosing a college than what I listed here (i.e., tuition, location, classroom sizes, campus resources, physical climate, campus safety, faculty credibility, college accreditation, etc.), but I think (in my humble opinion) the most important thing to look for in a college is an institution that will offer you the best opportunity and resources to take you where you want to go in the future from where you are today. However, if you don’t know where you’re going (i.e., career path), trust me, no college (or any college) can take you there.

As always, live purposefully!