More Than a GPA: A Guide to College Success Featuring ORU's Kameron Flatt

This isn't a story in the traditional sense. It's a lesson from a student on how to approach (and grow) in college. Meet our expert-in-residence: Kameron Flatt, an ORU sophomore majoring in strategic communication. Listen to what she has to say, and we promise your college experience will be a life-changing one.

Before ORU, Kameron says she used to tie her identity to performance. Specifically, she focused solely on grades, which came with the pressure of being a 4.0 student. This, according to Kameron, was neither healthy nor sustainable.

"I had a lot of anxiety about my grades," Kameron said, "and the Lord told me to step back and stop idolizing performance so much. If you're only concerned with grades, you're placing your joy, your peace, and your identity in something you can't completely control. A big thing I've learned at ORU is that I shouldn't perceive myself as just numbers on a paper. Here, I've found my identity as a daughter, as a sister, and as a friend. It's something that's completely changed me."

An Opportunity, Not an Obligation

Success lesson #1: Embrace the opportunity.

Stepping back from performance transformed Kameron's view of education. She now sees college as "an opportunity, not an obligation." It's a critical distinction, one that Kameron grounds in gratitude-thinking rather than success-chasing. She describes it this way:

"I made the practical choice to have gratitude, to tell myself 'Be thankful for the opportunity to go to this school and learn.' If the biggest pressure in your life is to succeed, then you're probably surrounded by opportunities other people don't have. I'm still giving my best effort in school but without the pressure. I stopped convincing myself that in every class, I have to get a certain grade."

"When you stop focusing on grades, you realize college is so much more than just the academics. Truly, this is how ORU has changed my life. I'm learning in my classes, but I've been transformed by everything else as well. I'm grateful to attend a University that teaches me, stewards my character, and contributes to my spiritual growth. ORU is a university that cares about me, and it's taught me this important lesson: who I am in Christ is always more important than what I do."

Community Is Part of Your Education

Good grades are "good" in college, but being consumed by those grades, that's not necessarily good. Discoveries like this are part of personal growth, and it's changed Kameron's approach to life. That's how education works; it changes you for the better.

"Since coming to ORU," Kameron said, "I've been asking questions like, 'Why am I created the way I'm created? What's my story? What have I experienced, and why have I experienced it?' It's helping me discover my strengths and my character. I've learned that I'm good at communicating and showing compassion, even when people are hard to be compassionate towards. At the same time, I've been acknowledging my weaknesses. I've learned that I struggle more when I don't ask for help. This can actually turn into a strength, something that happens when you connect with people and seek out community."

Kameron Flatt with Student Association team members.

This is success lesson #2: Embrace the people around you.

In acknowledging her weaknesses, Kameron has connected with a community that's willing to support her. To be successful in college (beyond just grades), community is critical because when it comes to education, the environment is just as important as the curriculum.

"Every conversation at ORU isn't 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,'" Kameron said, "but you'll find the evidence of Him in how we act and speak. Love is a choice, and I see it exemplified daily in the student body. God is our motivation, which allows us to freely love people. On campus, there's a passion to pray for others and care for others no matter who they are or where they're from. This is a community that seeks to know you and hear your story. I continue to feel seen, and because of this, ORU gives me the freedom to be my authentic self."

Kameron Flatt and her friends.

Nationally Ranked, Globally Recognized

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 17 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. In 2024, the Carnegie Foundation recognized ORU with a "Leadership for Public Purpose" award, a distinction earned by only 25 universities nationwide. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 176 nations in the last 7 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.