I am a huge risk taker. I moved 13 hours away from my home state of Iowa to attend college in a city where I didn’t know a soul. I quit my part-time job during my last year of college, and took out a small loan to support myself while I took on three internships. Looking back, had I not taken those risks I would not have gained the experience I needed to land my current job right out of college.
I believe that everyone should live life with no regrets. After all, you miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take, right? During college is seriously the best time to take chances and jump on opportunities that you wouldn’t otherwise take advantage of. I know a few of my classmates who took the easy way out after college. Maybe everyone doesn’t aspire to be the king or queen of their field like I do, but why not take the chance to be great? I mean, being good is okay but being great is better.
During your college years, you have the chance to develop that greatness. Because of your student status, you can get your foot in the doors of key players in your field. Once you’re in, imagine the amount of knowledge you would soak up. Most college students don’t even think to secure informational interviews with their career field icons, or even apply for an internship with their dream company. You’d be surprised at how many people wait for opportunities to come to them, or just take what they know will come easy instead of putting in the work to be great.
There is nothing worse than waiting around for life to come to you. You have to make your own luck in this world. Taking risks is the only way to do that. Keep in mind that you have four years to explore your life. Why not take those years and go out on a limb for your future? I applied to a university in a completely different part of the country. What if I had let fear talk me out of applying? What if I wouldn’t have taken the risk to attend college across the country? I wouldn’t be as confident and secure in my abilities and my future that’s for sure.
Taking risks is about gaining confidence, testing your limits, and achieving your goals. If you play it safe in life 100% of the time, you’re guaranteed to have a boring and dull life with low self-esteem. Successful people are confident people who have achieved great things by taking risks and creating opportunities for themselves. Use your time in college to become a successful person. Ask any CEO and they’ll probably tell you that they didn’t get to that level by doing what everyone else does. TAKE. RISKS.
I probably sound like a broken record right now, but I seriously want you to digest those two words. I can guarantee you that your future will thank you for it. There’s nothing better than rising to the occasion and being one of the best in your career simply because you stepped out of your comfort zone and went for it!
Keiana Holleman 