Day 8 Reading

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Lesson 42 |
“Is This Going to Be on the Test?”
A
s we discuss college life, let me ask you some questions. What is
truly important to you? What is it that twenty years from now
will hold the most value to you? Let me suggest that the weightier
matters are the relationships you develop, the experiences you have, and
the growth you obtain as an individual. These are the more important
areas of your life that you need to develop before you graduate from college.
College is an experience that is more than just sitting through a bunch
of lectures, taking a few tests, and receiving your degree. It is an education
in life. Your college years should teach you how to develop values and
ideals of your own, how to react to different situations now that your
family isn’t around, how to relate and communicate well with others, and
how to budget your time and money. College life should mature you so
that at the end of these years, you will be better able to live on your own
and function as an adult. The most important determinant of your overall
success will be your level of development in these areas.
When I was in college, I made “A’s” in many of my classes. But my
GPA is not what I cherish most about my college experience. When I first
arrived on campus, I knew very few people. However, that first semester I
met Troy in my Calculus class, and he introduced me to a few of his new
friends who lived down the hall. It wasn’t long before Troy, Wade, Brent,
Tommy, Scott, Russ, Stephen, and I were doing all kinds of things together.

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A month earlier we had no idea each other even existed. But living in the
same dorm and having the experiences we did gave me friendships that
will last the rest of my life. I had a great high school experience, but I can
easily say that the friendships I made and the experiences I had in college
were a lot more meaningful and a lot more fun than those at the prep level.
Twenty years after you graduate from college, these will be the things you
remember and cherish the most.
That being said, college is also about getting an academic education
to open doors for your future. How well you perform in the classroom is
important because it will help determine how many times you get your
foot in the office of prospective employers or graduate schools. Employers
and graduate schools are attracted to sharp, competent graduates, and one
way to gauge a graduate’s ability is to look at the level of his or her grades.
Good grades will show anyone interviewing you that you are teachable
and have the aptitude and the desire to learn. It is a very competitive world
out there, and anything you can do to set yourself apart will definitely
help your cause.
It is going to be difficult to truly feel good about your college years if
your grades are lower than they need to be. On the flip side, your college
years will be empty if you spend so much time studying that you miss
out on the college experience that will pass you by. So in order for you
to make the most of your college experience and your valuable time, you
need to come in with a game plan. I have been on a college campus for
over twenty years, and I have witnessed thousands of students come to
school very excited with anticipation as to what the future holds. A new
and exciting chapter in their life is about to begin and most don’t have a
clue as to what is going on. And the sad thing is, most don’t care. Most
students want to get by with as little work as possible. They want to be
successful without putting forth their best effort. They want to make the
grade without putting in the time. “Is this going to be on the test?” they
ask, which translates: “Please don’t give me more information than I need
or challenge me beyond the bare minimum of what is required of me

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because I am lazy, and I don’t want to do more than I have to.” If you are
trying to get by with as little work as possible, you won’t be successful…
period. But when you give your best effort, both in your relationships and
in the classroom, great things will happen…guaranteed.

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Lesson 43 |
Come With a Game Plan
A
s I mentioned in the previous lesson, in order for you to make
the most of your college experience and your valuable time,
you need to come in with a game plan. Decide now what kind
of grades you want and convince yourself you are going to do whatever
it takes to make that happen. However, I want to encourage you not to
limit your game plan to just your GPA. Instead, determine what you want
your entire college experience to be like. What do you want to get out of
college? What kind of person do you want to be by the time graduation
rolls around? Obviously, you want good grades or you wouldn’t be reading
this book. But go deeper. What is it that you truly want out of the next four
or five years of your life?
Basically, what you are trying to determine is two-fold:
1.
What type of person do you want to become by graduation date?
2.
What experiences do you want to accomplish
during your college years?
If you are like most students, you probably want to be a better person
four years from now than you are presently. You want to be more mature
in most areas of your life than you are right now. But since it is difficult to
measure growth in character traits, I recommend you follow the advice of
years of psychology experience and do what the experts say: Picture firmly

in your mind the type of person you’ve always wanted to be. Who is that
person? What character traits does that dream person have?31
And what about the so-called “ultimate college experience?” Everyone
wants one, but what does that entail? How can you have one? We will
delve into these questions in the next two lessons, but for now, re-read
the questions that were asked on the previous page. If we state the two
questions differently, we can determine a goal for your college career. That
goal is as follows:
BECOME THE PERSON
YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE
– AND –
HAVE THE ULTIMATE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE.
This may be going a little deeper than what you initially bargained for.
You were just trying to improve your grades, and instead, you’re getting
a lesson on improving your whole lifestyle! But stay with me. Getting
great grades is definitely a part of the “Becoming the person you’ve always
wanted to be and having the ultimate college experience” goal you just
established. After all, wouldn’t you rather be a person who achieves high
grades versus low grades? And don’t you think that achieving great grades
will give you a better outlook on life and remove quite a bit of stress and
discouragement, which will enable you to enjoy your college years a lot
more? You bet it will.
Now, let’s talk a little more about your game plan. Your college game
plan needs to include steps on how to accomplish the above-mentioned
goal. In the next two lessons, you will find the “Pruitt Game Plan” to
get you started. The sooner and more completely you can master these
lessons, the sooner and more completely you can truly enjoy your college
experience.

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Lesson 44 |
The “Pruitt Game Plan” – Part I
Become the Person You’ve
Always Wanted To Be
L
et’s tackle the first part of your goal and talk about the person
you’ve always wanted to be. Going to college is an opportunity
to get a fresh, new start on life, and rarely will you have an
opportunity quite like this ever again. If you are human, you have areas
in your life that need improvement. Whether it’s more discipline to do
the good things or wisdom to stop doing the bad things, we all could do
better. And one of the neat things about going to college is that when you
get there, very few people know you or your past. You get the chance to
start over.
Were your grades in high school lower than you desired? Do you regret
not getting involved in more extra-curricular activities? Were you scared to
try new things or worried about what other people thought of you? Were you
intimidated by certain peers or certain events such as speaking in front of a
crowd? Do you want to change your image? Take heart, because high school
is over and it’s time to take things to the next level.
Most of you have probably heard of a To Do list that a lot of people
keep, reminding them of the things they want to get done. Not only
do I suggest you develop and keep up with your own To Do list, but I
recommend you also develop an offshoot of the To Do list and formulate
an “I am” list. Instead of keeping track of things to accomplish, it is a list of

character traits to accomplish. It is a list of character traits that you would
like to see exemplified in your life. Basically, it is the person you’ve always
wanted to be. Since this may be new to you and since you may be short on
time, I have included my own “I am” list to get you started. If you are like
most students, you will find a large percentage of the characteristics from
the following list to be traits you’d like to possess, but feel free to add to it.

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Good Communicator
A Leader … by serving others
I am:
Trustworthy
Unique
Selfless Submissive
Self-Controlled
Responsible
Relaxed
Pure
Persistent
Peaceful
Patient
Organized
Optimistic
On Time
Loyal
Loving
Kind
Joyful
Intelligent
Honest
Healthy
Great Student
Grateful
Good Friend
Good
Gentle
Generous
Fun
Forgiving
Focused
Faithful
Enthusiastic
Energetic
Disciplined
Decisive
Content
Confident
Caring Brave

“But I want to be popular!” you say, “And this ‘I am’ list sounds
very old-school!” Start getting the reputation for being responsible, caring,
honest, and trustworthy, and don’t be surprised when you’re asked to head
up several organizations…and asked out by those of the opposite gender.
Now, you may still be wondering how a list of character traits fits
into a book about studying at the college level. The answer is simply this:
These character traits promote Excellence in the way you live, both in your
thoughts and in your actions. You should strive to exemplify Excellence
in every area of your life—in the way you treat yourself and in the way
you treat others. Excellence should permeate every activity of your life,
including the work you perform in the classroom.
I hope you noticed that being a “Great Student” is included in the
above “I am” list. Start being a great student now. You don’t have to wait
until next semester; you can start today. Pay attention and take great
notes in class today. Study those notes on a daily basis. Keep up with your
reading today. Work daily on your homework or upcoming projects. Make
Excellence your standard in the classroom, and it will start to spill over
into other areas of your life as well.
Be the person you’ve always wanted to be … today!

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Lesson 45 |
The “Pruitt Game Plan” – Part II
Have the Ultimate College Experience
N
ow it is time to address the second part of your goal: Have the
ultimate college experience. What exactly is the ultimate college
experience? And what steps can you take to ensure that you have
one?

In my opinion, the ultimate college experience consists
of three components:
1. The relationships you develop
2. The events you experience and enjoy
3. The individual growth you undergo
I believe these three components are inter-related. The more events
you share with other people and the more time you spend with them, the
deeper the relationships you will have with them. And every time you get
out of your comfort zone to deepen your relationships or experience a new
event, you grow as a person.
What creates the ultimate college experience will vary with each
individual. What one person finds exciting and enjoyable, another person
will consider boring. Some people will want to meet every student and go
out at every opportunity. Others will prefer hanging out with just a few

friends or watching movies together in their dorm room. Whatever your
personality, college life will abound with many opportunities for enjoyment.
I’m sure each of you, no matter your personality, will not find it hard
to have fun in college because college life is stinkin’ fun! The problem will
be saying “no” to the many opportunities for fun and hitting the books
instead. I’m not against having a good time. In fact, I want you to be able
to look back on your college experience with warm memories, but you
need to realize there is the possibility of having too much fun. I’m sure
you’ve heard countless stories of students who had too much fun their
freshman year and were suspended from school because their grades were
too low or for other reasons. This should not be your story.
So what should your story be? Well, what do you want it to be? Take
several days to think about this. Take several weeks if you have to, but do
put some effort into this and consider what you want out of your college
years. These ideas will help formulate the game plan for you to get the
most out of your college experience. To further assist you with your game
plan, I have laid out some suggestions.
My first suggestion is to develop a To Do list. This To Do list will help
you establish Excellence in the way you live. Having Excellence as your
standard will help deepen your relationships with other people and will
improve your overall attitude on life, no matter where you are, no matter
what your situation. I have listed a few things to get you started, but please
feel free to add some more.
To Do:
1. Ask questions, even if I am afraid of looking stupid.
2. Be a true friend to those who come into my life.
3.
Be the first to say hello and greet people by name, not
“Hey, Man!” (And if you can’t remember names, swallow
your pride and ask!)
4. Build quality (not necessarily quantity) relationships.

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5.
Do my very best in every situation
(including studying).
6. Every so often take a different route.
7.
Every so often visit a cemetery. (Sounds creepy, but you will be
amazed at how things will get put into proper perspective and
how fortunate you really are.)
8. Exercise regularly.
9. Genuinely compliment other people.
10.
Get involved in leadership opportunities, even if I feel I am not
the most qualified.
11.
Get involved in the situation, organization,
or assignment.
12. Get out of my comfort zone.
13. Improve my oral and written communication skills.
14. Meet new people.
15.
Say “no” to requests and events that don’t match up with my
goals and values.
16. Take the opportunity to visit new places.
My second suggestion is to fill out a “To Experience” list.
To Experience:
1. List traditions of your school.
2.
List other things you want to accomplish or

get involved in.

The “To Experience” list calls for a little research and effort on your part.
To fill out the “To Experience” list, you need to write down the traditions at
your school and prioritize them. What is a “must do” and what is a “would-
love-to-but-don’t-have-to do?” Keep this list someplace where you can refer
to it every so often. In fact, it may be nice to keep a journal of your college
experiences and write an entry when you do something new, or really fun,
or meet someone interesting. During your senior year, it will be neat to look
back on all the things you have done. You won’t be able to do everything, but
if you start your college years with a game plan, you’ll be surprised at all the
things you will have experienced.
Don’t know what the “must do’s” are at your school? Find a few
reputable upperclassmen (or your friendly Admissions Advisor) and ask
them what needs to be experienced. They’ll be happy to tell you and you
may have just found some new friends. Is there a certain restaurant or
coffee shop nearby that you just have to go to? What about sporting events,
hang-out spots, or movie theaters? Should you join a fraternity, sorority, or
social club? Is there a particularly awesome Speech teacher that you need
to get?
Now, you may want to do more than just the school traditions. You
may want to make your own traditions and do your own thing. The second
part of the “To Experience” list is where you can list those entries. Having
the ultimate college experience may mean making a road trip, going to
the lake, or joining the school chorus. It may mean serving as Treasurer
for the Psychology club or serving food to homeless people. Whatever
you decide to do, give it your very best effort and immerse yourself in the
activity.
As you compile your list of things to experience, prioritize them and
try to do as many of these as you can before graduation comes. Your
valuable time is at stake. By knowing what you want to experience ahead
of time, you will save yourself from doing a lot of useless and stupid things
and getting caught up in a lot of time-wasting activities. Believe me. There

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are plenty of time-wasting activities around campus. But by saying “no”
to these useless activities, you have just freed up more time to enjoy your
college experience…and to study. Way to go!
Let me point out here that deepening your level of learning and
achieving great grades in the classroom will also add so much more to
your college experience. You will have done your best, and that, in itself,
will give you the peace of mind to enjoy the rest of your experience. Besides
that, your family won’t be nagging you to study more, and won’t that be
nice?! Instead, they will be so proud of you for your fine work that they
may even send you a care package! And getting a care package from your
family will always make your day.
I can hear a lot of you saying, “This is ridiculous! I am not going to
follow Mark’s silly suggestions, and I’m not going to write these things
down.” I realize these suggestions may sound rather hokey to some, but
studies have shown that if you take the time to write your goals down
and put a completion date by each one, you are far more likely to actually
complete them as compared to when you merely think about your goals
every so often.32
I really want you to have the absolute best college
experience possible, and I know these things work. So give it a shot, and
start making your game plan for the ultimate college experience work for
you.

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Lesson 46 |
Some Do’s…
I
know I’ve given you lots of suggestions in this book, but here are a few
more that can really prove to be helpful in your college career.
1.
Sleep well.
There are two big reasons to sleep well: your physical health and your
academic health.33
It’s hard enough to keep up with the school work when
you’re healthy, but if you get sick, it compounds the problem. You’ll miss
classes, you’ll miss assignments, and you probably won’t keep up with your
reading.Youwon’tfeellikedoingasinglething,andthenextthingyouknow,
you’ll be extremely behind. After a week or so, your illness may pass and
you may physically recover, but your grades that semester probably won’t.
Your academic health will also be affected by not being able to focus
in class, and a lack of sleep is a sure way to lose that focus. Remember
when you thought that staying up until midnight was the coolest thing?
In college you will find that if you can ever get to bed by midnight it will
be a pretty cool thing. There is so much going on in the dorms and so
many people to see and talk to at night that it’s difficult to get to bed at
a reasonable hour. Staying up late is just a way of life on campus, but it
doesn’t have to be super late.

I recommend getting six to eight hours of sleep every night. That should
give you enough time to socialize, have some fun, and get any last-minute
studying done before calling it quits. I’m confident that if you will be diligent
about getting to your Study Zone immediately after class and using your odd
moments wisely throughout the day, you’ll be able to watch your favorite
television show with your friends and truly enjoy the evening hours, while
still getting a decent amount of sleep.
2.
Eat well.
This does not mean eat a lot. You may have heard of the “Freshman
Fifteen,” and you don’t really want that. What you do want, though, is to
eat healthy foods and drink plenty of fluids such as water and juice. Get
in the habit of eating plenty of vegetables and fruit every day. If you think
the college cafeteria is awful and doesn’t even carry healthy food, you need
to look a little harder. Good fruits and veggies and plenty of water every
day will help your body and mind function the way they were designed.34
3.
Exercise.
You may think you are so busy that you don’t have time to exercise.
However, by exercising regularly you should be able to add more productive
hours to your day.35
In addition, studies show a positive correlation between
exercise and brain cognition. In other words, with regular exercise, your
brain will understand more of what you are trying to study.36
You’ll sleep
better, you’ll wake up with more energy, you’ll focus better, and you’ll feel
tons better about yourself. So even if it’s a short fifteen-minute walk, do it.
Your body needs to get the blood flowing to your brain, and the best way
to do that is to get off your couch and do some physical activity such as
walking, running, biking, or swimming. You may even want to get some of
your friends and go exercise together. Whatever type of exercise you like to
do, do it consistently.

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4.
Get involved.
College is so much more than going to class and getting a formal
education. Take advantage of the many opportunities that abound and get
involved. Get out of your dorm room and meet the students down the hall.
Consider joining an organization on campus, such as a fraternity, sorority,
or social club. I have known many students who were afraid to get out of
their comfort zone and it cost them a large part of their could-have-been
college experience. Now, before you sign up, you need to count the cost
of each opportunity and determine if you can really handle the time and
commitment it’s going to take. You don’t want your education to suffer, but
you need to get involved.

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Lesson 47 |
Some Don’ts…
On the other hand, here are some additional things to consider.
1.
Don’t skip class.
The more time you spend away from your goals, the harder it will
be to successfully complete them. The same thing applies to your classes.
Even if your class does not have an attendance policy, you can’t expect
to learn the material and keep up if you are absent. Also, if you have a
professor who seems to lecture straight from the book and you feel you
could use your time more efficiently doing other things, stick it out by
going to class and paying attention. By listening and taking great notes,
you will greatly reduce your study time because the teacher is reinforcing
what you have already read. The more times you hear it, the stronger it is
locked in your brain.37
Besides, it usually happens that when you think the
professor is just going to repeat the book again, he or she will present some
vital information that you will not want to miss or will give a pop quiz.
You will also find that when spring comes and the weather starts
warming up, a lot of your friends will want to skip class to go to the lake.
Don’t do it. Instead, go to the lake on Saturday. Once you skip class, you
are inviting low grades to be a part of your life.

2.
Don’t rely on your friends’ notes.
Most students aren’t going to have the same level of discipline as you,
and the way they pay attention in class and take notes is going to reflect that.
If you happen to miss class for some reason, go directly to the professor
first to get the notes. If that proves unsuccessful, choose someone in the
class who you know is sharp enough to take decent notes and ask him or
her. Even if you don’t know the person very well, most students are fairly
congenial and are willing to help out.
3. Don’t assume you are going to remember key information.
Write it down.
4.
Don’t study with a group.
This suggestion may raise some eyebrows, but my experience with
study groups has been more social than academic. At the end of each
study group session, I rarely felt like I had accomplished a whole lot
and I probably could have gotten more done had I spent that hour
studying the material myself, rather than gabbing with the other students.
So be honest with yourself. If a study group really helps you learn the
material, go for it. If you find, however, that your study group spends more
time on what happened last night on TV or on the latest campus breakup,
then either find someone who can help you one-on-one or go it alone.
5.
Don’t be afraid to take hard classes.
Organic Chemistry, Anatomy Physiology, Intermediate Accounting.
Tough classes may challenge you more than you signed up for, but the
accomplishment can enhance your academic and professional career
more than you may ever know.38

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6.
Don’t cheat.
Cheaters will never win. Never. Cheating does you absolutely no good,
and the consequences far outweigh the moment of “success.” If you study
the way I’ve suggested, there is no need to cheat.
7.
Don’t plagiarize.
Plagiarism is a form of cheating, so re-read Point #6. Learn to write your
own stuff.
8. Don’t do to others what you would not want them to do to you.
This philosophy is the flip side of the Golden Rule and has kept me out
of a lot of trouble.
9.
Don’t spread yourself too thin.
There are many good activities and organizations to take part in, but
you are going to have to learn to say “no” to several of these opportunities
that come your way. It is necessary to get involved, but you need to limit
your activities. Every activity and organization that you are committed to
bites into your study time, which then chews up whatever time you were
going to spend with your friends.
10.
Don’t start dating your first week of school.
Actually, I’d steer clear of a relationship for the entire first semester.
Give yourself time to get to know what it’s like to be in college. Give yourself
time to get into a study routine. Having a girlfriend or boyfriend too early
can really put a pinch on your time and your college experience.
11.
Don’t leave your book bag, computer, or umbrella unattended.
12. Don’t get behind.

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Lesson 48 |
Don’t Cheat!
W
hat do Martha Stewart, Bernard Madoff, and Barry Bonds
all have in common? They all cheated. Two of them have
received jail time for their cheating, and the other should
have an asterisk by his name in the record books with the footnote:
*Cheated to break the record.
I want to take a moment to expand a little bit on Point #6 from
Lesson 47. There is a lot of emphasis placed on getting a high GPA, and
it is coming at the expense of moral character and actually learning
the material. In a survey conducted among college students, a full
seventy-eight percent admitted to cheating.39
In another survey, when
questioned why they cheated, students revealed that they felt everyone
cheated and that companies and graduate schools gave preference to
those with high GPAs.40
Since there is a slim chance of getting caught,
most students will do whatever it takes to get high scores, including
looking up answers, copying other people’s work, or having someone
else complete the assignment.
However, colleges and universities are getting better at catching
students when they cheat. For example, professors used to have a hard
time proving whether or not a student committed plagiarism. They
basically had to rely on their best judgment, and since it was difficult to
prove anything, professors usually would not contest it. However, they

now have computer programs at their disposal that are quick, accurate,
and very effective at detecting plagiarism.
Also, colleges and universities are handing down stiff penalties. If a
student gets caught cheating or plagiarizing, most schools will give an
automatic “F” in the class and/or suspend the student from school. A
professor friend of mine told me about one of his students who was in
the final semester of his senior year. The student had filed for graduation
and his parents had bought their plane tickets for the big event. However,
the student was caught plagiarizing on a paper and received an “F” in
the class. He had to sit and watch his friends graduate while he planned
summer school.41
Is it easy to cheat and get away with it? Based on statistics and the
number of students who actually get caught, I’d say yes. However, even if
you are sly and can get away with it, cheating is still not worth it. When you
cheat, you never really learn the information and skills you are supposed
to learn. And although it seems that there is a lot to be gained by getting
correct answers unethically, if you cheat, you are cheating yourself. You set
the groundwork for failure and rob yourself of the joy of accomplishment
and the peace and self-confidence that come from doing your best. In an
article entitled “Cheating in the Classroom: Beyond Policing,” Dr. Daniel
Lee tells the story of one of his acquaintances, who was a classmate of
his through the first twelve years of formal education. Although Lee’s
classmate paid the price for cheating up through high school, cheating in
college is no different. You will pay the price.
When I saw her at a class reunion a few years ago, she boasted
about cheating all through elementary school and high school.
She did not say much, however, about her career experiences
once she graduated high school. The zenith of her career was
serving as a short-order cook in a greasy spoon restaurant. By
cheating her way through school, she cheated herself out of an
education, which significantly limited her career possibilities

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when she graduated from high school. In short, the person
shortchanged the most by cheating is almost always the
cheater.42
Preparation is the key. When you are not prepared, there is the
temptation to compromise your integrity and to make yourself look better
than what you really are. The fear of failure, or the fear of not making the
grade, makes it extremely tempting to cheat and take the easy way out.
“It’s no big deal,” you say. “Everyone else does it anyway.” Well, let’s say
you develop heart problems. You experience a heart attack and go in for
emergency open-heart surgery. Do you want a surgeon to operate on you
who cheated to get through med school? It is a big deal.
College is a chance to learn and prepare for your future, and if you
start taking shortcuts, you will only hurt yourself. If you cheat and get by
once, what’s going to stop you the next time? If you cheat on small things,
you are going to cheat on bigger things. And if you start compromising
on even one part of your life, your integrity and self-worth immediately
start to deteriorate. Sooner or later your fraud will catch up to you. Don’t
let a simple GPA steal away your self-worth. Be a real man or woman, and
don’t cheat!

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Lesson 49 |
Honesty Is Still the Best Policy
T
here are few things better than doing your absolute best and
successfully accomplishing your goal. It is a great feeling to
know there was an obstacle in your path–whether it was
exercising, finishing a paper, or graduating from college–and you
conquered it fair and square. Overcoming any obstacle or conquering
any goal, at first, may seem overwhelming. It may appear to be too large
of a task. However, overcoming any obstacle or conquering any goal is
not a matter of completing one big task. Rather, it is simply completing
small, individual tasks on a daily basis. Soon, those small, individual
tasks add up, and the job is done and the goal is accomplished. A semester
is not a big chunk of time or a huge amount of information. Rather, it
is roughly seventy-five individual days of going to class, taking notes,
studying those notes, completing the reading assignments, and doing
the homework. Each classroom assignment is a piece of a big puzzle,
and if you cut corners, or compromise your effort, or cheat on even the
smallest of tasks, you will rob yourself of the immense gratification
that could be yours. However, if you will be honest with yourself and
honest in your effort in even the smallest of tasks, you will truly enjoy a
tremendous amount of peace and satisfaction that is hard to beat.

As I mentioned in the previous lesson, preparation is the key. If you are
prepared, there is no need to cheat or take shortcuts. And if you diligently
follow The 4 Study Steps, you should be extremely prepared. It is an
awesome feeling walking into the classroom on the day of the test, full of
well-earned confidence, knowing that you are about to tee off on whatever
the professor puts in front of you. That same feeling can be yours. So do
your own work and hold your head high. No fear. No guilt. No apologies.
Be a man or woman of Excellence, and you can truly enjoy your academic
victories.

195
MAKING THE GRADE
Lesson 50 |
It Ain’t Over ‘til the Fat Lady Sings!
Finish school!

197
MAKING THE GRADE
Lesson 51 |
Reasons Why It Ain’t Over
‘til the Fat Lady Sings!
I
n my experience as Assistant Director of Admissions, I’ve seen many
students who weren’t sure what they wanted to major in, so they
decided to stay home and work until they knew for sure. The majority
of those students then got jobs that paid more than what they were
making in high school and saw paying for college, not as an investment
but as an unnecessary expense. Even though they knew they could get
their college degree and probably earn quite a bit more money than what
they were currently making and enjoy benefits they didn’t currently have,
they wouldn’t make the transition. They later married and had families of
their own. Years later, when they wanted to go back to school, they found
it was one of the toughest things they had ever tried to do.43
So if you’re contemplating sitting out a semester or taking a year off
because you don’t know what direction you want to go or what area of
study you want to pursue, please don’t! Take at least one class and keep
going toward your goal of completing your degree. If you take a semester
off now, it will be easier to rationalize taking off another semester next
year. You never know what the future holds. Before long, life will happen
and you’ll wish you would have finished school.
Believe me. It will never be easier to go to college than right out of
high school. Just ask the millions of Americans who are trying to go back
to finish a degree while working a full-time job and raising a family that
desperately needs their time. Do you think that going back to school is fun
for them? I guarantee they wish they had finished the first time around.

199
MAKING THE GRADE
Lesson 52 |
“I Wish I Had Known This Earlier!”
M
y first real job out of college was working as an accountant in
St. Louis. When I interviewed for this position, I was a little
surprised at how the interview went. After all, I had never
interviewed for a full-time job, so it was all new to me. What surprised me
were the topics of discussion and what the prospective employer seemed
to deem as most important in determining whether or not he would hire
me. What do employers really want from college grads? I am going to
share some information with you that I wish someone in my high school
had shared with me before I even set foot in my dorm room my freshman
year of college.
We live in a very competitive marketplace, and whatever you can do
to set yourself apart from the other interviewees will definitely help your
cause. I used to think you had to have a very high GPA to land the good
jobs and those with a low GPA had to settle for whatever scraps were left
over. However, one of my Accounting professors informed me that that is
not entirely true. He said that having a solid GPA will show that you are
teachable and that you have enough discipline to get the work done, but
it will not be a free ticket for a job. Prospective employers want someone
who is competent and who can interact well and communicate well with
others. They would rather have a graduate who had decent grades (3.25 or
higher) and who was involved in a few organizations than a 4.0 student
who sat in his or her room and studied all the time.44

Another professor revealed to me that employers and graduate
schools are looking for students who have undertaken something
above and beyond the normal course load—something extra, such as
an internship or a special research project. With so many “A” students
graduating from college, those with extra experience get the extra
attention.45
Book knowledge and classroom knowledge are good, but you will find
that actual job experience is going to be very different than the classroom
setting.Employersrealizetheycanteachyouwhatyouneedtoknowonthe
job to be successful, and in every interview I went through, the employer
spent the majority of the time asking me about myself, the activities and
organizations I was involved in, and how I could help his or her company.
The interviewer only spent a moment on my grades, and that was it.
So my advice to you is to do your very best in the classroom and get
involved in only as many activities and organizations as you have time
for, that you really support, and that will help you develop new skills or
acquire a deeper knowledge. These criteria are very important in deciding
where to spend your extra time. Don’t take on responsibilities or join a
group just because a bunch of your friends are joining or because it will
“look good on your resume.” You will spend plenty of your precious time
in meetings and events, so make sure you are committed before you sign
up.
My Accounting professor also recommended taking on some
leadership role such as President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer,
Manager, or Assistant Manager in some of these organizations. This will
help set you apart and show your future employer that you can effectively
take on responsibility and are willing to get out of your comfort zone.46
More importantly, it will help in the development of your interaction and
communication skills, help you meet more people, and even develop long-
lasting memories and relationships.

201
MAKING THE GRADE
Now, before you go and sign up for President of several organizations,
let me tell you a few things I’ve noticed by being on a college campus for
many years. While hundreds of students have come through my office, a
few of them really got my attention. I have been very impressed by those
students who seemed to know what they wanted even before they set foot
on campus. And even if they really didn’t know what direction to take
in their life, they knew what their values were and they really didn’t care
what other people thought of them. They had a sense of confidence and
maturity about them that was beyond their peers.
Over the next several years, these students got really involved in
other people’s lives and they built deep relationships with only a handful
of people. They were also heavily involved in a few organizations and
took on leadership roles in one or two of them, but they didn’t go after
every organization on campus. They weren’t concerned with the social or
politicalstatusofbeingaleaderanddidn’tfeeltheneedtobeinaleadership
position in every organization they were in. In fact, they became involved
simply because they wanted to help. They wanted to serve other people.
They knew they didn’t have to be at the top to be important. If they could
help just one person, they were successful.
When I look back on my college years, I know I did not have that
mindset and I regret going after the wrong things. I felt I had to be
involved in many organizations and take on leadership responsibilities
in those organizations just so people would respect me more. However,
had I respected myself more initially and not worried so much about what
other people thought, I would not have even signed up for half of those
organizations and not allowed myself to get spread so thin. That would
have freed up quite a bit of time to get more deeply involved with my
friends and other people and would have allowed me to serve more when
the need arose. And helping others, I have found, is one of the real keys to
having a successful college career and a wonderful adventure in the years
that follow.

So in conclusion, let me encourage you to do just that. Just as you
should keep your eyes open for odd moments to study throughout the
day, you should also be on the lookout for opportunities to be helpful
to those who could use a little assistance, especially to those who can’t
repay the favor. Start looking around. You will find many opportunities
to serve in some capacity–sometimes to your closest friends, sometimes
to total strangers. I know that by helping someone, whoever it may be and
whatever his or her situation, you will receive a much bigger benefit than
the benefit you are giving away. It works every time.
I hope you have an amazing college experience, and may God bless
you richly in all you do!
Sincerely,
Mark Pruitt
I’d love to hear your comments and success stories:
4StudySteps.com

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