Skip to content
Buzza Start Learning
Learn with real videos

Bilingual YouTube Learning

▶
Choose a video to start learning Choose a video from the full Library to start learning.
Time English (United States) Language 2 Action
00:06
Oh, hi there!
00:07
As you can see, we’re having a bit of a party.
00:09
CONFETTI!
00:10
And that’s because all the papers have been submitted,
00:11
the tests have all been taken, final projects presented,
00:13
and everything borrowed has been returned to the library.
00:15
That means there’s only one thing to do: celebrate!
00:18
MORE CONFETTI!
00:19
And that’s because attending college is a really rewarding experience,
00:24
but sometimes, we all get so caught up in achieving the next goal
00:27
on our list that we forget to bask in our own success.
00:29
Think about it: just as you finished one semester you were probably
00:32
already setting up your schedule, buying books,
00:35
and preparing for the challenges of the next one.
00:37
Or, maybe you finally scheduled an appointment with your career advisor
00:40
but now you’re thinking about all the other appointments you haven't scheduled yet.
00:43
As students we get so used to looking ahead and planning and
00:46
trying to balance all our responsibilities that we end up thinking
00:49
about the future instead of focusing on the present.
00:51
But if there was ever a time to stop and smell the roses,
00:53
it’s after we’ve completed our degree.
00:55
It’s time to pause for a moment, take a deep breath, rest, relax…
00:58
and then celebrate ourselves for all we’ve done!
01:01
In fact, even celebrating smaller achievements, not just the big ones,
01:04
helps you build confidence in yourself, which is key to becoming a lifelong learner.
01:08
Hi, I’m Erica Brozovsky, and this is Crash Course: How to College.
01:11
a Study Hall series presented in partnership with Arizona State University.
01:14
Let’s talk about celebrating your accomplishments and developing
01:17
a lifelong love of learning.
01:19
[INTRO MUSIC PLAYS]
01:21
As we get older, we get a lot fewer gold stars on things --
01:29
but you know what?
01:30
I think we should get more.
01:32
Celebrating our successes might feel silly at first,
01:34
but it's important to recognize how far we've come and how much we've learned
01:38
–like I said, it's a key way of building confidence in yourself.
01:42
And there are even a couple of key things you can do to help make celebrating yourself
01:45
a habit.
01:46
For one, celebrating the things we’ve achieved puts us in a great position to reflect.
01:50
We can ask ourselves questions like: what we’re most proud of
01:52
from each year of our degree, what we enjoyed the most about our education,
01:55
and how we overcame obstacles.
01:57
Chances are, you’ve accomplished more than you realize.
02:00
And you can start practicing how you can use these moments as important examples
02:04
that demonstrate your experience by looking up
02:06
common interview questions and drafting your answers.
02:08
For example, a common interview question asks you
02:11
what your strengths and weaknesses are;
02:13
calmly reflecting on your academic career ahead of time can give you
02:15
genuine and thoughtful answers to this question.
02:17
Let’s go to the Thought Bubble.
02:19
Michael spent his last semester in college
02:20
working as a front desk receptionist for a local business.
02:23
While working there, he was the first point of contact
02:25
for customers who needed help with solving a problem.
02:28
Over time, he learned how to efficiently evaluate a problem
02:30
without alienating the customer.
02:31
Now, when applying to potential employers,
02:34
Michael lists “problem-solving” as one area of strength.
02:36
And when he goes in for an interview, he can mention
02:38
the steps he took to help address specific problems, or
02:41
how he got better at problem-solving with new challenges.
02:43
Michael’s role also required him to use office technology.
02:45
Both hardware, like the computer and copy machine, and software,
02:49
which is any program that’s installed on these devices.
02:51
And this is where Michael can admit one of his weaknesses:
02:53
the mid-90s printer.
02:55
Don’t worry, none of us liked the mid-90s printer,
02:58
and the last of their kind still exist in offices around the country to haunt us all.
03:02
When asked about his weaknesses in the interview,
03:04
Michael can explain that he’s familiar with
03:05
a broad range of hardware and software programs, but for some reason,
03:09
he’s never been able to manage that gremlin-haunted printer from 1996.
03:13
This is just one example of how previous experiences can prepare us
03:15
for an interview, but we can do similar reflecting about any
03:18
significant experience like class projects, volunteer work,
03:22
internships, research, and other practical learning experiences.
03:26
And if you want to learn more about how to find a job,
03:28
check out episode 13 on transitioning to full-time work!
03:31
Thanks, Thought Bubble.
03:32
Another way to celebrate your own success is to journal,
03:34
or even keep a diary.
03:35
You can use a journal to write down the questions and answers
03:37
you want to reflect on, but you can also use it to just…keep track of your experiences.
03:42
Because the things you did in your sophomore year of college
03:44
are still going to be pretty clear in your memory on graduation,
03:46
but trust me, time takes its toll!
03:49
Having a diary or journal of your experiences as they happen,
03:52
even if it’s just 5 minutes a day, can be extremely valuable to look back on
03:55
years later as you want to remember how much you’ve achieved–
03:58
and the details of those achievements.
03:59
Ultimately, celebrating and looking back on your accomplishments
04:02
actually prepares you for your next step.
04:04
But this reflection doesn’t have to be all on you!
04:06
Tell someone!
04:07
Tell a lot of someones.
04:08
Share your accomplishments with the people around you who matter to you
04:11
and have helped you get where you are, whether that’s your family,
04:13
a favorite coach, or your mentor.
04:15
These people have supported you through your degree,
04:17
and they’ll appreciate the chance to celebrate your wins, no matter how big or small.
04:20
And finally, when you’re celebrating yourself, be sure to reward yourself.
04:23
Now, there’s a fine line to walk here: you don’t want to reward yourself
04:26
just to get that gold star.
04:28
You want to celebrate your effort and the success that came from it.
04:31
So this might mean pulling an all-nighter to meet a last minute deadline
04:34
and then treating yourself to a relaxing day at the spa,
04:36
or going for a long coastal hike to reconnect with nature.
04:39
Maybe a bunch of people in your group of friends got promoted
04:41
all at once, so you decide to have a celebratory group dinner.
04:43
And eventually, we learn to associate the effort and success itself
04:47
with inherent satisfaction;
04:48
we experience pleasure in learning.
04:50
This is intrinsic motivation, and it’s a key part of lifelong learning.
04:53
An undergraduate degree gives you a solid foundation for career success,
04:57
but lifelong learning continues your development of knowledge
04:59
and skills after formal education ends.
05:02
You can develop new skills–and sharpen old ones–
05:04
while building and expanding on the knowledge you learned in college.
05:07
This can be pretty important, because not every skill