Mindset and Grit: Keys to the Kingdom of College Success
By Katie Richards
Congratulations! You passed the tests, wrote the essays, and were accepted into college. Now, how do you make the most of this opportunity and reach your goals? Like most young adults you’re probably thrilled to be starting a new adventure. The journey that begins a life built just the way you have always envisioned it. Your heart is pumping with excitement over the endless prospects and opportunities before you. But there’s something else that makes that heart pump. Something nervous and worrisome. Your success at college will affect your future path, so ask yourself again, how do you make the most of this opportunity and reach your goals? Although student success is often measured with test results and grade point averages (GPAs), we’re going to talk about how mindset and grit can be your strongest tools in reaching your academic goals and finding success at college.
What is “mindset” anyway? Your mindset refers to the belief that you can achieve any goal you make for yourself. Psychologists also call this self-efficacy (Bandura, 1993) or the “can do!” attitude. For example, I can read every book on how to ride a bike. I can know how it works, from the chain to the handlebars, but if I don’t have any confidence in myself to ride it, I’ll fall off every time. An important part of your mindset (self-efficacy) is your ability to see yourself being successful and moving forward with your goal, knowing you’ll get there. According to the article, 5+ Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset Using Grit & Resilience, people with the “can do” mindset have some common characteristics (Dweck, 2006) :
They take on new challenges
Keep pushing forward despite setbacks
Recognize hard work is how goals are reached
Use criticisms to improve themselves
Learn from the successes of others
As a college student, you’ll be able to keep yourself motivated with your academic mindset that visualizes success in your classes and the completion of your degree or certification.
Grit. For some reason, the word “grit” reminds me of Clint Eastwood. If you’re familiar with the actor you’ll remember that every character he’s ever played was tough, stubborn, and never gave up. That’s what grit is, your ability to keep pushing forward even when things get hard. Unlike Mr. Eastwood, your grit isn’t going to require you to stumble through the arid west in your cowboy hat and six shooters, but instead it will be creating study schedules, actively participating in classes, and maybe using tutors. Hard work = results, but what happens if you fail? Here’s the difference between working hard and grit: grit is when you put in the work, hit a setback like a poor grade on paper or exam, but get back to your study schedule, adjust, and try again. Grit is never giving up. Studies have shown that persistence toward a goal is more closely related to success than IQ or talent (Duckworth et al., 2007). In her TED Talk, Angela Duckworth describes grit as “passion and perseverance for very long-term goals”, “Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out…”
All right, you have a strong academic mindset, and you’ve got grit. Now what? How can you use these two skills to help reach your goals at college? Find your school’s resource center! Not only can they provide you with services that can improve your study schedule (grit), but they can also help you set reachable goals that keep you motivated (academic mindset) throughout your college experience. Rather than having the ultimate goal of graduating with honors, you may narrow it down to something obtainable each semester. Challenging yourself to make the Dean’s list can maintain the motivation needed to reach that ultimate goal, plus it will keep you in the routine of your study schedule. A study by Farruggia, S. P., et al. (2018) found that students who use both academic mindset and grit perform better and are more likely to return to college after their first year. Sure, it’s going to be hard, but you don’t have to do it alone! Surrounding yourself with like- minded people can help you stay on track and offer support when your grit is running low. So join that study group or club! Most importantly, you need to realize that mistakes will be made. You’re learning and can’t be expected to be perfect. The key is to toss the negative self-talk and embrace optimism. “I may not have figured it out this time, but I know what I have to do to improve next time.”
You passed the tests and have been accepted to college. Your goals are set, and you’re confident you can reach them (mindset). You know it will be difficult, and you might not get everything right the first time around, but you know you’ll keep trying (grit). Your heart is pumping with excitement over the endless prospects and opportunities ahead. You’ve got this. Success is in your future.
References
Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educational Psychologist, 28(2), 117–148. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2802_3
Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087
Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books.
Farruggia, S. P., Han, C., Watson, L., Moss, T. P., & Bottoms, B. L. (2018). Noncognitive factors and college student success. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 20(3), 308-327. https://doi-org.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/10.1177/1521025116666539