Opportunity is what you make of it
I'm going to open my article with a question, and really think about this one: Why are you here, and what are you expecting to get out of college?
Chances are you said something about success. Everyone wants success but let's face it, not everyone is successful. So how does one become successful? Is it simply a matter of being the best and the brightest, or are their other factors involved?
All of these questions are explored in a book called Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a very interesting read that talks about successful people and how they became successful. What's discovered is that your environment is just as responsible for success than anything else.
One of my favourite examples of success he gives is The Beatles. They are the most famous rock band in the world. Did they become that way because of their awesome musical skills? Not really. You can say that The Beatles became The Beatles because of their music, their personality, their stage show, but you'd be ignoring the environment that allowed them to get that good in the first place.
Before the “British Invasion” of America in 1964, and before The Beatles were even known in Britain, they had a lucky break with a promoter in Hamburg. This was in 1960, when The Beatles were in high school, and when there were no rock-and-roll clubs in Hamburg. Bands like The Beatles were hired to play at strip clubs for up to eight hours straight, seven days a week, to catch the passing traffic.
Does that sound like an opportunity to you? Not really. But if you play in a band, you might have already caught on. That's a lot of practice, and nobody gets that much stage time anymore. They went to Hamburg as a sloppy, unsure mix of musicians. They came back with skill and experience.
Before they had even set foot in America in 1964, they had already played an estimated 1,200 times together. The rest is history.
Gladwell compares their story to other success stories and finds a very similar pattern. Nobody makes it by him/herself. Sure, they had talent and drive, but without the opportunity, hard work, and a few lucky breaks The Beatles would have been just another Britpop foursome.
Consider for a second your environment today. You're in college, and it's a time when colleges are seeing an enormous amount of growth. In college they want you to be successful. Their credibility rests on your success, and that's why they have so many services offered to help students with anything from homework to medical and personal issues. And let's face it, we're all digging deep into empty pockets to pay for these services, so that at the very least should motivate you to look into what's offered. If you haven't checked out the Student Success Centre, or Career Services (both in F2010) that's a good start. In this day and age, you have every reason to be successful at college. Take advantage of every opportunity, work hard and enjoy your success.
And don't let the fear of striking out get in your way. Babe Ruth said that. But since he's dead, I'm stealing it!
- Joe
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Chances are you said something about success. Everyone wants success but let's face it, not everyone is successful. So how does one become successful? Is it simply a matter of being the best and the brightest, or are their other factors involved?
All of these questions are explored in a book called Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a very interesting read that talks about successful people and how they became successful. What's discovered is that your environment is just as responsible for success than anything else.
One of my favourite examples of success he gives is The Beatles. They are the most famous rock band in the world. Did they become that way because of their awesome musical skills? Not really. You can say that The Beatles became The Beatles because of their music, their personality, their stage show, but you'd be ignoring the environment that allowed them to get that good in the first place.
Before the “British Invasion” of America in 1964, and before The Beatles were even known in Britain, they had a lucky break with a promoter in Hamburg. This was in 1960, when The Beatles were in high school, and when there were no rock-and-roll clubs in Hamburg. Bands like The Beatles were hired to play at strip clubs for up to eight hours straight, seven days a week, to catch the passing traffic.
Does that sound like an opportunity to you? Not really. But if you play in a band, you might have already caught on. That's a lot of practice, and nobody gets that much stage time anymore. They went to Hamburg as a sloppy, unsure mix of musicians. They came back with skill and experience.
Before they had even set foot in America in 1964, they had already played an estimated 1,200 times together. The rest is history.
Gladwell compares their story to other success stories and finds a very similar pattern. Nobody makes it by him/herself. Sure, they had talent and drive, but without the opportunity, hard work, and a few lucky breaks The Beatles would have been just another Britpop foursome.
Consider for a second your environment today. You're in college, and it's a time when colleges are seeing an enormous amount of growth. In college they want you to be successful. Their credibility rests on your success, and that's why they have so many services offered to help students with anything from homework to medical and personal issues. And let's face it, we're all digging deep into empty pockets to pay for these services, so that at the very least should motivate you to look into what's offered. If you haven't checked out the Student Success Centre, or Career Services (both in F2010) that's a good start. In this day and age, you have every reason to be successful at college. Take advantage of every opportunity, work hard and enjoy your success.
And don't let the fear of striking out get in your way. Babe Ruth said that. But since he's dead, I'm stealing it!
- Joe
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
