Among some students at university is a very appalling belief that the graduates that end up with the best jobs are those with connections or with prominent relatives. This makes one wonder why this student is working so hard in school yet their hopes are inversely proportional to the hard work they put in. But don’t let these negative thoughts ruin your positive future outlook. Here are some tips to get you started on the road to positivity. What you study in class isn’t all you need in life If lecturers were to teach everything a computer engineer needed to conquer the aggressive market today, a computer engineering degree would probably take more than 10 years to complete. Well it’s just four. What next? Will you just get to the labour market the way you are? Big NO, because you won’t make it to your dreams. The internet has made the world a global village and you can almost get everything you need off it. If you spent two hours daily learning something new related to your course, you would be three times better than your peers. Some online resources include the Microsoft Virtual Academy, Khan Academy, open source learning, Udacity and many other websites that give you a full course outline and not only notes and exercises but videos as well. Find and learn things by yourself. They are all free online. Always focus on what you enjoy doing You want to get going with your own thing? If yes then do what makes you happy. It doesn’t matter if it is what you studied or not as long as you know you’re good at it. 80% of the people I know that have done what they enjoy have ended up being successful at it and most importantly happy in life. Let’s face it; sometime we choose courses we consider prestigious or simply give in to pressure from parents. But at the end of the day these degrees are not our calling. You don’t have to suffocate for the rest of your life just because of a wrong decision. Patience is essential and failure is okay Mark Musasizi, a computer programmer says failing and stress are part of the road to success and self reliance. “When you’re going to start your own thing, especially young people who are just starting out you meet lots of hurdles. This can be discouraging but it is important to pick yourself up and have the drive that you started with still in you,” he says. Musasizi adds that failure teaches very good lessons. “It is just part of the big picture,” he says. Seek out mentorsBefore you start something amazing, it all seems like a fairytale. That is until you are actually done with it and it is working. Being with pessimistic people just keeps all your ideas in the shadows. It doesn’t cost a thing to seek out people who have done it before and ask for their advice. You will find it extremely worthwhile.
