A journey of a thousand steps begins with a single step. —Lao Tzu, philosopher

Who Are You As a Student?

Imagine for a moment that you live in the ancient city of Athens, Greece. You are a student at Plato’s University of Athens, considered in modern times to be the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. The campus sits just outside Athens’s city walls, a mile from your home. You walk to class and take your seat in the gymnasium, where all classes are held. Gatherings are small, just a handful of fellow students, most of whom are males born and raised in Athens. When your class is finished, you walk back to the city. Your daily work awaits you—hurry.

Now return to the present time. How does your college environment compare to the university in ancient Athens? Where do you live now, relative to campus? Do you report to a job site before or after class? Who are your fellow students, and where do they live in relationship to you and campus? What city or country are they from?

If you indulge these imaginative comparisons, you may find many similarities in the past and the present. You may find many differences, too. Perhaps the most striking difference will be the makeup of each student body. Consider the following facts:

• In fall 2015, 20.2 million students attended American colleges and universities. That was almost 5 million more students than enrolled in fall 2000.
• Of the 20.2 million U.S. college students, about 17.3 million are undergraduates; about 3.0 million are in graduate programs.^[1]
• Almost half of all undergraduates (46 percent) are community college students.^[2]
• During the 2015–16 school year, colleges and universities are expected to award 952,000 associate’s degrees, 1.8 million bachelor’s degrees, 802,000 master’s degrees and 179,000 doctor’s degrees.^[3]
• Females are expected to account for the majority of college students: about 11.5 million females attend in fall 2015, compared with 8.7 million males.
• More students attend full time than part time (an estimated 12.6 million, compared with about 7.6 million)^[4]
• Nearly 4 out of 5 college students work part-time while studying for their degrees, averaging 19 hours a week.^[5]
• International students now make up about 4 percent of all university students in the U.S., which hosts more of the world’s 4.5 million international students than any other country.^[6]

These brief statistics point to the scope of university life in America and the diversity of the student body. Clearly there is no “one size fits all” description of a college student. However, each student bears a responsibility to understand the diverse terrain of his or her peers. Who are the students you may share class with? How have they come to share the college experience with you?

In this section, we look at several main categories of students and at some of the needs of students in those categories. We also take a brief look at how all students, regardless of background, can make a plan to be successful in college.

Characteristics of Successful Students

What does it take to be a truly successful college student? Do you believe you already are or will be successful? What things do you need to embrace to ensure your success?

Below is a list of some important characteristics that impact student success. By answering the questions on a scale of “I usually do” to “I seldom do,” you’ll gain insight into the characteristics you’ve got going for you already and where you might need to build some new habits. Remember, these characteristics aren’t things you’re born with—you have to develop and practice them.