http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/paying-for-college/2010/08/17/best-value-colleges-give-big-scholarships-deep-discounts.html

CNN Article:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/23/technology/sal_khan_academy.fortune/index.htm

The way to have a successful life is by training your mind to win. Personal development has become ever more popular in today’s demanding world for everything from weight loss, career development, to public speaking. While the tools and methods used to attain the desired personal development outcome may vary from high priced seminars to moderately priced books, there are a number of simple steps that can be used to get you started on the right path to reach your own personal development goal, such as:

1) Setting Goals

It is essential to have a clear goal in mind to achieve your own particular personal development requirements. Ask yourself exactly what it is that you wish to achieve and the more refined and clear your goal the more chance you will have of successfully attaining it.

2) Identify the Cause

A good starting point with personal development is to look at how you got to where you are right now. For example, if your area of personal development relates to weight loss then look at what lifestyle factors contributed to your weight problem to start with. Write down everything you can think of that contributed to the problem and then analyze how you can modify each factor to get the result you desire.

3) Make a Plan

Once you have decided on your goal then formulate a plan that details the steps you will take to reach your goal. Use the details you uncovered when identifying the cause of the problem and expand on these to incorporate as much detail as possible on how you can achieve your personal development goal.

4) Focus and Commitment

Once you know your goal and have designed your plan you then need to focus on your goal and commit to the plan you have designed. Set aside a certain amount of time each day to work on your plan and do not allow general daily chores to distract you from what you need to do. Once you have become accustomed to working on your plan each day it will become a habit and therefore easier over time to stick too.

5) Look for Inspiration

It will be of great benefit to look for inspiration from others that have overcome the same personal development challenge as your own. This can be in the form of books, seminars, courses or even a person from your local community that you may be able to contact to get some tips or advice.

Personal development is about identifying areas of your life that you wish to change for the better and having an attitude of continual self-improvement. No matter which area of your life you intend to improve by following the steps outlined above and committing to the plan you can be assured of achieving your goals and in doing so gain more confidence to not only achieve other personal development goals but do it quicker and easier each time.

College life is totally new for students as compared to the sheltered one they are used to in school. It involves a chance to see the world from close quarters, freedom, and independence. The students are no longer shielded by a protective covering of school and parents, and the freedom brings a lot of responsibility with it. Students learn, often in a harsh way, that things do not necessarily go as they might have planned.

It has been seen that people who have set goals, committed to in writing, and being worked upon, are much more likely to achieve, than those who only have a notion about it. This is the power of goal setting- it makes us achieve what we want to, and thus makes us endeavor for it till it is finally achieved. This is because while the human brain is very good at processing huge amount of information, it needs direction so as to give importance and priorities to the various choices that are available to a person. This is what keeps a person from straying to do unnecessary things.

According to a study by W. Haley, students decide on their majors even before their classes begin and 12% expect to change it at some point of time. But 65%-85% actually change their plans for majoring. While 8% of undergrads expect to spend more than 4 years to complete their degrees, 60% end up taking more time. Further, while 2% expect to fail a course, 16% actually do; and while only 1% of students expect to drop out, 40% actually do drop out!

This trend clearly shows the lack of goal setting by college students. If you want to succeed in your college life and also after that, the direction your life takes, and the way you go about it should be clearly defined by your goals. While all of us have notions, of what we want to do, and where we want to be in life, these are clearly different from goals. Notions are only a rough idea about the way we feel. Goals are more specific and concise than notions. They clearly define what we want, in an accurate manner, so that we have a perfect vision and a direction. Thus, while every student has a notion that he/she wont drop out of college, a goal would be more like; I will complete college in four years.

However, still people find that they do many things that are not required, at least at the moment, or which can wait. To keep the mind focused on a particular achievement that is desired, it is important to have goals that will always ensure that the brain gives first priority to the actions resulting towards the fulfillment of those goals.

It is desirable to break down the goal into smaller sub-goals, which can be achieved one at a time. This will keep a person from being overwhelmed, especially by large goals that takes a longer period of time to achieve. This also keeps a person from straying away from the goal due to the goal seeming unattainable. A series of short-term goals ensure that the person remains on the track of achieving the long-term goal. Small, but continuous success with a series of short-term goals also acts as a motivation factor, which keeps a person going.