When students enter college, they will begin to face a long list of challenges. Whether they are ready or not, every student will be expected to have the maturity to act responsibly, do their best work and make good choices. This is a time when students begin to operate on their own and take full responsibility for their decisions, words, behavior and results.


Students who finance their own way through college, usually take their education more seriously than those who don?t. It doesn?t make sense for students to goof off, when they must pay back many thousands of dollars in college loans. Mature students know why they are going to college and understand what it will take to graduate a great job.


Unfortunately, there are other capable students who are less serious about their college performance. They aren?t ready for the hard work that is needed to make the most of their college experience. Having fun seems to be their main priority. However, when these students fail to demonstrate their capabilities in class, on campus, at work and in the community before they graduate, they will find that job offers are few and far between. That?s why it?s time for immature students to grow up.


The most mature students:


1. Have A Compelling Reason - Mature students have a good reason for attending college and strive to perform at the highest level. When students attend college without a compelling reason for being there, they are much less likely to devote the time, effort and enthusiasm needed for success.


2. Have A Goal And A Plan - Grownups know where they want to go and have a plan to get there. Because mature students are highly motivated to succeed, they anticipate the stumbling blocks to a good education and a good job and develop a plan to overcome them.


3. Display A Great Attitude - Adults display a friendly, positive and constructive attitude, one that tells others that they want to be successful. They are serious about their education and their performance. Mature students enjoy college life but know what is most important. That?s why they put their education first.


4. Avoid Self-Defeating Behavior - Mature students don?t waste time, wait until the last minute, hang out with the wrong people, skip classes, fail to complete assignments on time, attend all night parties or engage in illegal and inappropriate behavior. They know that these self-defeating behaviors foretell poor grades, bad references and low paying jobs.


5. Demonstrate Their Capabilities - Savvy students realize that employers look for candidates who can perform well in a variety of environments (classroom, campus, work, community and leisure activities). When students have not clearly demonstrated constructive and productive performance and behavior, employers quickly eliminate them from consideration.


6. Handle Problems On Their Own - Grownups take care of their own problems. They do this through prevention, logical discussion, negotiation and by admitting their mistakes, taking responsibility, making things right and accepting the consequences of their words and actions. They don?t whine, complain or cry, don?t expect their parents to come to their rescue and don?t expect to be treated better that anyone else.


If you hope to land a great job after college, you must grow up long before you graduate. That?s because all employers recognize the students who do little during the first few years of college and then think that a last minute flurry will impress them. It won?t. It?s takes consistently reliable performance, over the long haul, to convince an employer to take a closer look at you.


Employers are not baby-sitters. They are not interested in immature, undisciplined, self-indulgent students who have wasted their time and money in college and don?t appreciate the learning and performance opportunities that exist.


Wise students act like grown ups. They use their entire time in college to clearly and purposely demonstrate their maturity by doing their best at all times. In that way, they put themselves in a good position to be considered for the best jobs.