Written by ME student, Kristopher Hernandez, expected graduation May 2015
Originally posted on Reddit.com
I failed out of Georgia Tech. Twice.
I was lucky enough to be let back in for one last chance this semester. It took me shamefully working a year delivering pizzas for me to finally learn what I needed to do to succeed.
It takes hustle.
1. Hustle
I was lucky enough like many Tech students to not have to try in high school. That doesn’t work here. You actually have to put in the work to get the results. That means showing up. That means doing the boring reading AND taking notes. That means staying off your phone during lecture. That means doing things differently. I used to game and drink way more than I would sit and work homework problems. If you want to succeed you have got to be willing to work yourself harder than ever before and earn those grades. Believe me, it is so worth it at the end after the struggle when you succeed, because you worked for it.
2. Campus Resources
Did you know you can meet with a therapist for free on campus? Did you know they have tutoring 1 on 1 in specifically your subject, for free? I didn’t take advantage of these things when I needed them most, and most people don’t even know they exist. Take advantage of the counseling center, 1 on 1 tutoring, plus tutoring, workshops, REBOOT, academic coaching, and even your adviser. I went to 2-3 of these things weekly and met with my adviser and coach every 2 weeks. It’s a great way to get some strategies and skills you can use and to just be accountable so that you stay on track.
3. Office Hours
I started thinking I was just paying overpriced tuition for a piece of paper that says I graduated because you can get all these textbooks and information online now with all these universities releasing their curriculums. Realize what sets this apart is your access to your professors. Going to office hours or even just staying a bit after class gave me an edge, because I could get information on the material (and the upcoming exams) from the source. I made sure my professors knew me by name so that when giving grades out came around, they would bump me up those extra few points. It works. Plus, now you’ll have professional relationships that can always help you out when you’re job hunting.
4. Cut down on partying
You know it’s hard to get anything done when you’re hungover. If you’re going to succeed, you need to cut down at least while you’re hustling. Your brain is an organ like any other in your body and you’ve got to recognize that it doesn’t work optimally when you’re intoxicated, and you’re going to need it to work at full capacity. I went hardcore and got completely sober for the semester. Find what works for you and stick to it.
5. Motivate Yourself
You know how whenever you hear that one song you get super pumped? Why not mindhack yourself and use it to your advantage? I have a youtube playlist of speeches, songs, etc. that I KNOW will get me motivated when mixed with some caffeine. Put this motivation survival kit together for yourself for that time in the semester when you know you’re going to want to skip class. This motivation survival kit saved my ass literally over a dozen times this semester.
6. Don’t miss class
The more class you miss, the worse your grade will be. It’s been statistically proven. You know this. I use to only go to 5 classes the entire semester, 4 of which were exams. Even when your professor bores you to death, you can at least spend that time teaching yourself out of the textbook. Create some kind of accountability to force you to go. I made a rule that I would have to email my professor with why I missed class each time, and that really made a difference.
7. Start everything early
The first time I had a homework done 3 days before it was due was the most relieving feeling I can’t describe. Instead of having to stay up late scrambling last minute, I could spend that night having fun guilt-free because I worked ahead. Trust me, your homework is way easier when you do it in 5 pieces instead of all at once. If you’re having trouble, try out the Pomodoro method. I swear it makes any big project into a simple task.
8. Turn in your homework (even if it’s incomplete)
I had the realization when calculating grades at the end of a terrible semester that even if I had gotten a D or F on my homeworks instead of just not turning them in at all, I would have bumped up a letter grade. Seriously, it is way better to turn in a homework with a sad attempt at a couple of problems and get a 40/100 instead of a 0/100. Ideally, you should try and get a high grade on homeworks, but this is a good hack for those deep depression, procrastination days.
9. Take care of your will power
In the end all this hustle is going to take a lot of will power which studies have shown is a finite resource but can be grown like a muscle. When I go to the gym, eat healthy, sleep well, surround myself with good people, etc. I have much more will power. When I stay up late, get drunk, skip gym, fight with my significant other, etc. I lose will power. You have to take care of your physical and emotional well-being FIRST if you expect yourself to be able to hustle. The good news is a very small decision in the right direction starts a snowball of positivity that will put you in a good place of plentiful will power. Unfortunately, it’s also a slippery slope in the other direction. So stay vigilant.
10. Hustle some more
When the holidays came around late in the semester it was so hard to maintain that hustle. Admittedly, I missed a couple of classes and an assignment or two. We are all human, and we are going to mess up. Old habits die hard. What is important is that you get yourself motivated again and get back on the horse. You gain nothing by beating yourself up over what you failed in the past. You only win when you learn what your mistake was and DO something different. You have to act differently or you will keep getting the same results. And when you do act, do it with purpose and focus: hustle.
Let me know if you have any specific questions and I’d be more than happy to help. For those wondering I'm an ME undergrad co-op program, and when I graduate next semester it will have taken me 8 years to get my degree.
I’ve been there guys, for far too long, and I want to see you succeed too. If a someone like me can do it, you can definitely kill it next semester.