For over a decade, each of us has served as entrepreneurship faculty and directors at top business schools and entrepreneurship programs in the U.S. After coaching thousands of student entrepreneurs that have raised funding from top VC firms, have gone on to be a part of accelerators like Techstars, Y Combinator, and even appeared on Shark Tank, we took a moment to step back and ask:

What are the characteristics that make some student entrepreneurs successful and not others? What mistakes should student entrepreneurs avoid?

Below, we share a few tips. While we can't guarantee that your startup will launch and thrive after graduating, applying these lessons learned will increase your odds of success.

Is this guide for me?

This guide is appropriate for university students who are:

• testing out whether entrepreneurship is right for them or,
• committed to starting a business while in university or,
• looking to find co-founders or others to work on an idea (whether theirs or yours).

Lesson #1: Have a bias towards action and ask for help

When you're at a university surrounded by peers pursuing traditional, linear paths in their career, it can be daunting to move forward on an idea or to progress your business. We sometimes see students caught in paralysis and are too hesitant to start.

Or, when they do start, they seek comforting, friendly words of encouragement from friends and classmates about the viability of their idea instead of getting in front of customers.

As a student entrepreneur validating their business, you must escape the bubble of the campus and university. Get out there and start talking with customers. It can be uncomfortable, but the payoff is worth it.

And ask for help. Leverage your alumni network and meet with your entrepreneurship center for guidance. You'd be surprised at how many doors can open for you when you email an alum from the .edu email address of their alma mater.