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Owning Success
Having been posed the question about what success might look like for students, I pondered for a few days trying to conjure up an appropriate answer. You might think the answer is simple, after all the Oxford Dictionary defines ‘success’ as ‘The achievement of a desired result or outcome; the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.’ But what is that desired result or outcome? For students and many others, I would suggest that the simple answer that comes readily to mind is a good degree.
Some will have looked beyond this perhaps suggesting that a desired result would be a good degree leading to a good job. But such statements feel a little too simple, what is a good degree and what is a good job? If we were to stick with generally accepted definitions, then a good degree is one where a student obtains a first or a 2:1and a good job is one that is defined as a graduate job. Such definitions though serve to devalue both the achievements of many students and of the jobs that students take up.
Students are all different, come from diverse backgrounds and deal with a plethora of social, economic and personal circumstances. Achievement or what we might deem as success is only truly measured by taking these multiple, often hidden, facets of a student’s life into account. Several of our students find work after university in organisations where the class of degree has little relevance, but the work makes a real difference to society; work in charitable organisations come to mind. What many of these students have demonstrated is that through their studies and engagement with their course they have become able to understand the world through a different, far more critical lens. They can show confidence, have conviction, argue their case, they can provide leadership where it is needed and above all they are able to show empathy, something sadly lacking in contemporary society. And that to me is real success. I
t is not what you can spout out parrot fashion from a book, not an AI generated essay; it is when the light comes on and a student can see what they did not see before, they attempt what they would not attempt before. Success is part of a journey, but one where students have knowledge and skills to navigate to where they, and they alone, want to be. Success is not what others define for you, success is whatever you decide it should be.
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‘Do or do not, there is no try’
The Red Roses are playing in the rugby union world cup final on Saturday and I, amongst thousands, will be watching it on television with a heady mixture of anticipation, trepidation, excitement, fear and expectation. The England Women’s rugby union team is made up of some very talented individuals that come together as a team to produce some of the most electrifying displays of rugby, that is both mystical and awesome to watch. I won’t just be watching, I’ll be dodging every lunge, wincing at every tackle made, running like the wind, dotting down the ball and willing every kick over, I’ll be totally engrossed.
I will be watching elite athletes at the top of their game, and I know, not one of them got there by chance. To be an elite athlete requires hours of training, a strict dietary regime, and dedication. It requires mental agility, physical strength, sacrifice and focus. To get to the pinnacle of their chosen profession, requires total commitment, ‘Do or do not, there is no try’ (Yoda – The Empire Strikes Back).
We can’t all be elite athletes, for a variety for reasons, but what they demonstrate is that achievement is not chance. My life experience, like that of many others, has shown me that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Success, whatever that looks like, requires hard work, sacrifice and commitment. In any walk of life, people that are successful in what they do, have had to put in a lot of effort and make sacrifices. That effort and those sacrifices often started with study. Whether that’s study at school, further education or higher education, or study outside of the educational environment they have been committed to their learning and achieving the best they could. Some may have better opportunities than others but nonetheless, doing nothing, achieving nothing, rarely qualifies an individual to be a top executive in a company, a top lawyer, surgeon, politician, lecturer, sports person or anything else. Top footballers in both the men’s and women’s games don’t just turn up on a Saturday for a kick around. None of them allow themselves to be distracted from what they want to achieve. Some people may not be academically gifted but their success is predicated on hard work and dedication.
This week we welcome new students to the university and next week we will see familiar faces returning. To all our students I would urge you to remember why you are here, what it is you want to achieve? Education is a right but look around the world and you will see that not many can avail themselves of that right. You are privileged and whilst you may not be able to match the commitment shown by the Red Roses, few of us could, it is worth remembering that no one achieves anything without some commitment and sacrifice. Set your sights high and go for it, we are all willing you on. And like the Red Roses we want to rejoice in your success.
Thoughts from the criminology team 