What Aspects of a College (post-secondary education) Experience Are Most Closely Linked to Success in Life?

If you are a Grade 12 heading off to college in the fall, or a Grade 10 or 11 student researching colleges, consider the importance of seeking out these things in your college experience or college selection process!

Much evidence gathered about college outcomes suggests several variables that are often correlated with students’ self-reports of experiencing “success”. Those variables that seem to surface most regularly are the following:

Connection with professors or mentors – students report having had someone at the college (or in some cases multiple people) who challenged, guided, mentored, and believed in them, having had an individual relationship with that person.

Internship or other experiences that apply classroom knowledge – having opportunities in the working world through internship, co-op, or even service-learning helped student to visualize their future potential and possibilities, explore work environments, receive invaluable feedback and direction from prospective employers, learn interviewing skills; they considered this experience vital to their success.

Projects that extend beyond the typical class term – students benefitted from learning how to be accountable – through to completion and to others on their team or in their group, how to work through challenges that come from such projects, built expertise in a specific area, and were able to understand their learning at a deeper level and develop confidence in their knowledge and skills.

Involvement in activities outside of the classroom – built social skills and networks, and kept them connected to their college, afforded life balance, and offset stress, increased confidence, and developed other skill sets.

As we know, success can be defined by many and varied features and perspectives. Take time to consider what you value in life, what your personal goals are for the person you want to become, and define success your own way. This will help you to navigate through the specific opportunities and experiences open to you in your post-secondary education, and choose those that will help you most on your journey.