In College, Small Improvements Mean Greater Success

by Bob Roth
The “College & Career Success” Coach

When I was in college, I took a class in Industrial Psychology.  In it, we
studied the concept of Just Noticeable Differences.  As we conducted experiments
with weights, light, speed and sound, we found that it took a difference of
approximately 15% before we noticed the change.  However, in college and in
life, much smaller changes can make a big difference.

You know that the difference between a “C” and an “B” is generally ten
percent.  That is the system we grew up with.  However, the difference between a
“B-” and an “B” is far less, sometimes as little as two or three points.  And
yet, some employers use these tiny differences in their employment decisions.

When a recruiter visits your campus and tells the Career Services office that
they will only interview students with at least a 3.0 CUM, that means that
students with less than a 3.0 CUM will not be interviewed.  The fact that you
have a 2.9 CUM becomes irrelevant.  That’s why small differences and small
improvements can be so important.

Successful people regularly strengthen and improve their position by doing
the small things that others don’t bother to do.  Here are a few examples of
what they (and you can) do.

    - Strive for quality
    - Focus on the things that are the most important and urgent
    - Recognize that it usually pays to do more than required
    - Do what they say the will do, when they say they will do it
    - Treat others with respect
    - Anticipate, prevent and solve problems
    - Know what they stand for and what they won’t stand for
    - Meet or beat deadlines
    - Accept responsibility for their performance and outcomes
    - Do the right thing even when nobody else is watching

Successful students

    - Recognize and value the importance of preparation
    - Study a bit harder and smarter than most other students
    - Make certain that they understand the most difficult or complex concepts
    - Practice classroom presentations until they are solid
    - Do an exceptional job with papers - research, style, citations, quotations & layout
    - Carefully look over their work before it is turned in - tests, papers, assignments
    - Add something extra to impress Professors
    - Contribute to classroom discussions and activities
    - Volunteer to help instructors and other students 
    - Put college success ahead of short term wants
    - Constantly improve communication, people and leadership skills
    - Build a list of impressive accomplishments

When you take advantage of small improvements and perform consistently, over
a long period of time, you will earn you something very valuable.   You will
earn the “benefit of a doubt.”  People will trust you and believe in you. 
They will accept your momentary failures and shortcomings because they know that
you will bounce back and keep moving in the right direction.  They know that
they can count on you.

Importantly, you should also understand that these small changes and
improvements:

    - Are cumulative.
    - Benefit your reputation.
    - Lead to new and additional opportunities.
    - Positively affect your self-confidence.
    - Allow you to be more influential
    - Change the way others see you and think of you
    - Enable you to achieve greater success

In most cases, success comes to people who are willing to constantly adjust
and improve, those who do the little things.  Since all degrees of progress and
success are separated by small, even tiny, differences, this point should
never be forgotten or ignored. 

Think of it this way.  In any class, activity or job, someone or some group
always stands out from the others.   It is rarely a fluke when their
performance is more effective or impressive.  They are usually the ones who recognize
and consciously take advantage of the small differences that lead to big results.

"What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little
consequence. The only consequence is what we do."   -- John Ruskin

Every college student can raise his/her grades by 2, 3 or 4 points, simply by
paying close attention to the small, yet important, differences that will add
up.  Are you one of the people who is making the small improvements that will
lead to greater success?

Visit Bob’s web site:  www.The4Realities.com.  Bob Roth is the author of The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College and The College Student’s Guide To Landing A Great Job.

Other articles by Bob Roth are available on the Job Search Tools page by clicking here.