The world as it is going to be.

• Author: Qubein, Nido R.
• Position: High Point University

Today's college graduates face global, not merely continental, competition for their jobs and careers. It's no longer enough to simply acquire information during one's time at school --students must acquire knowledge and wisdom too. That's the advantage of learning the liberal arts at an institution like High Point University.

We provide students with a holistic education, and we lead them to build relational capital and hone the skills of decision-making, problem solving and critical thinking. We aim to prepare students not for the world as it is today, but for the world as it is going to be.

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL INSTITUTION

Research suggests that, on average, college graduates may have dozens of positions over the span of their career. That's not due to any fault of their own or perhaps even their choice. It's because the pace of change is so fast that many of the jobs available today may soon be irrelevant or even obsolete.

HPU stands out, in part, because our students are given ample experiential learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. Students and parents are inspired by the values and principles that form the foundation for our "God, family and country" school.

Rather than focus on graduating "job takers," we are committed to graduating "job creators." That doesn't necessarily mean that our graduates will go on to start companies of their own. Rather, we challenge our graduates to be more innovative and productive no matter where or with whom they work.

That's why they will need an entrepreneurial spirit in order to survive and thrive in an everchanging marketplace. But you might ask, how does one develop such a spirit? Can you teach it in a classroom? Can you mentor someone to possess it?

Perhaps.

IT'S A MINDSET

An entrepreneurial spirit is a mindset--a collection of behavioral patterns that stem from a belief that one can learn more, do more, be more and give more.

The sure way that one can foster an entrepreneurial spirit is to experience an entrepreneurial environment--which is exactly what HPU highlights. It is part of the essence of this institution to promote a can-do attitude that says nothing is impossible for the realistic and reasoned individual who is willing to work hard and smart enough.

In the freshman and senior seminars I teach, I tell students there are no such things as unrealistic dreams--only unrealistic timelines. I point students to my life experiences and those of others and suggest to them that...