You are going to need help to complete college successfully. Everyone does. If you’re in college to earn a degree and graduate with great job prospects, you’ll need some help along the way. Be it academic, career planning, social or emotional issues – stuff comes up during the semester and there are resources on campus to get you the help you need. To access the right advice at the right time the following rules always apply:

Never hesitate to ask for assistance. If you think you need help, ask. If you think you’ve got this, ask anyway. In college you are surrounded by a wealth of information; access as much of it as you can, whenever you can. At no other time in life will you be in a place where the primary goal and objective of everyone there is to help you succeed.

Go to the source. When you need information that’s important to your success always go to the source of that information and, when you can, go to more than one source to verify what you have been told. Don’t go the source that is convenient or that will give you the information you want to hear – like your roommate, Facebook, the Internet or people who can only tell you what they’ve “heard.” Remember, an opinion spoken and repeated twice becomes fact. The first time it’s “I think” the second time it’s “I heard” and the third time it’s a fact! Don’t be misled this way. Go to the person who is responsible for creating and disseminating the information you need. You’ve been to see your advisor – (Challenge #1) and you should have talked to your professors (Challenge #3). Visit the registrar to confirm you’re on track to graduate on time. Register with the career office to get information on the job market. If you didn’t get the information you seek directly from the source – it’s all just hearsay.

Go to the decision maker. Make sure you are always dealing with the decision maker and that they are empowered with the authority to make a decision and stand by it. No one else can give you the definitive answers you need. Others can tell you about decisions that have been made in the past or what they think about the decision; but if they are not the decision maker, they can’t ensure your outcome and the only one with something at risk is you. Don’t take chances with your college success. Always go to the person with the authority to make a decision you can count on – preferably in writing.

Knowing when, where and who to ask for advice is key to success in college and in life.

Next GradeUP! Challenge post on Tuesday, February 17.