Earlier this month, I was thrilled and honored to see my oldest grandson receive a degree at CalSouthern’s graduation ceremony in Costa Mesa. Since then, I have been thinking about the many good decisions Alexander made leading up to this celebration:

1. Timing: Just a few days before Alexander’s twenty-fourth birthday. He began his post-secondary studies at the age of twenty, after having worked for several years in the food industry. He had started a part-time job at the local grocery store when he was in high school and was later hired in the Sales and Marketing Department of a wholesale food distribution company. He wanted to establish his career and education at a young age and he did.

2. Practicality: Alexander decided to sign up for a bachelor’s degree in management with a minor in marketing because he knew it would help him in his career. Some people sign up for classes without a plan and spend thousands of dollars trying to figure out what they want while they study. However, it’s never a good idea to take classes unless they bring you closer to your goals.

3. Learning Institution – One of the most important things to consider when choosing a school is whether it has accreditation that will be recognized by regulatory bodies in global locations. It can be very disappointing to invest time and energy only to find out that you can’t get the license or job you want or that you have to get extra credits to upgrade.

4. Study Method: Alexander was happy at his job and didn’t want to lose income while studying, so he decided to take an online program that he could do while continuing to work full time.

5. Payment: Instead of taking out a student loan or incurring significant debt, Alexander paid his tuition while he was in school. In fact, because his university was in the United States, he watched the currency fluctuate and paid in advance when the Canadian dollar was high.

6. Consistency: Alexander never procrastinated and didn’t ask for extensions. During the four years of study he part-time he delivered and delivered on time. In fact, during the last few months he managed to speed up the program in order to graduate early.

7. Excellence – Cum Laude is a Latin term that represents one of the three levels of academic honors. Alexander had a grade point average of 3.74 (out of 4.0) and this earned him a cum laude distinction.

8. Celebration: There are many ways to recognize achievements in life, but going to graduation is something that happens only once or twice. There were five of us (his parents, grandmother, Alexander, and myself) who traveled to California, where we toured the new University building, visited the staff and faculty, and attended the commencement ceremony. For four days we enjoyed time together and built beautiful memories.

If you’re thinking of changing or improving your career, consider the benefits of further education and the choices Alexander made. If he does, it will mean that he is working smart instead of just working hard.

Good choices lead to success!