25 hours a day...

The calling card of successful people is that they can influence the thinking of others in a constructive and positive way.  Successful people also should be able to manage their time, knowing when it is appropriate to commit to requests for our time, as well as when it is alright to say "no".  Of course, we all want to consider ourselves, or at the very least are on the path to becoming more successful.  We individually have images in our head of what it means to be successful, but a common misnomer is that it is a mistake to seek out assistance from time to time.  Asking does have its downsides, as it requires us to be humble.  It conveys to people that we do not possess every strength, every amount of intelligence that is available to us;  it exposes our weaknesses.  Also, asking for help says that we do not have all the time in the world to do everything we want or need to do; our time management skills require significant exercising.  The mark of successful people is knowing when it is appropriate to ask.

At Granite State College, there is a wonderful support system set up just for students.  The pinnacle of the support system consists of our academic advisors.  Their job, according to a recent press release, is to "meet with potential students who are interested in GSC, lending assistance and guidance through the admissions process. Once enrolled, students work closely with academic advisors on course and degree planning."  My advisior, Kate O'Neill of our Claremont NH College, has been a wonderful blessing to myself and the other students of our region.  Kate has gone above and beyond her duties to not only be available for a phone call each time I need her, but has anticipated my needs by letting me know about available classes coming up that fit into my schedule and are required by my degree.  When I wanted to plan out my academic path during the Fall term of 2009, Kate helped me to find a listing of all online classes for college extending out through the Summer term of 2011.  For a student like me who values having an operational plan like this, she turned out to be a great resource.  I highly recommend anyone in school now or anyone considering enrolling at Granite State College to take advantage of their academic advisor.  Not only is it their job to be the true "customer service representative" of the school, but they love what they do.  Thanks Kate!