What Is the meaning of success

According to the Dictionary, success can be defined in five ways:
1. The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals.
2. The attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
3. A performance or achievement that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honors
4. A person or thing that has had success, as measured by attainment of goals, wealth, etc.
5. Obsolete. Outcome.

I also believe that success can be measured many ways and that there is no correct way to achieve success.  The only way to correctly measure and achieve success is when someone describes his or her own personal success.

The most popular ways of measuring success as a college student are academic achievement, involvement, and professionalism. In the APR program, I think there is high urgency of all three. Are all three important? Well, yes and no.

Professors in the APR department are continuously pushing students to do their best. They may grade hard, but from the continuous critiques all semester long, we learn from our mistakes and become more knowledgeable. This is where measurement of academic success comes in. I don’t necessarily believe the grade is what measures your success but how you perceive your grade. Is a B okay? Is a C okay? To some, a C means “Yea I could have done better, but that could have affected my extra curricular activities that are just as important.” Which leads me to the next measurement of success.

Measuring involvement is another very crucial asset to being successful. This is a success that you will have to measure yourself. You can be involved in one organization or seven. How you feel about your role in the organization can measure your success. How you feel about the organizations mission can measure success. What ever makes you feel valued in an organization can measure your success.

Professionalism may have the same concept as measuring involvement. But one of the biggest differences is how to present yourself. Are you actually taking a step further with your involvements, are you taking it all in, and making the best of it to its fullest potential? Are you still being the same involved individual outside of the organization? Are you building the key relationships that are within an organization and outside of an organization?

These previous examples are only small ways to measure your success in school. It’s okay to not feel successful in some areas. Let’s be real, I dress like a slum more than I should, but it’s okay. I know it is an area of improvement for me. If you or I, were already “perfect” or “successful” then we could never continue to grow. Being successful is growing as an individual and never stopping. Balancing the odds and the evens in an infinitive phrase just like learning how to be successful is an infinitive process.

As long as you are trying, and you are proud of your own personal success, then you are successful.

Don’t ever believe otherwise. 

Rachel Beatty is a 5th year senior majoring in public relations and minoring in psychology and studio art. She has been in GrandPR for two years and is currently the Programming Director. She involved with PRSSA and Phi Sigma Sigma on campus and off campus she is a JBoard Director for the BISSELL Pet Foundation and a manger at Yankee Candle. In her free time, she enjoys a good match in tennis, puzzles, and eating pizza.