In the contemporary society where economic globalization and the cycle of scientific and technological renewal are accelerating, the all-round economic and social development of all countries depends not only on the number and structure of talents, but also on the quality of talents. The quality of talents is closely related to innovation ability to a great extent. At present, improving the ability of independent innovation and building an innovative country has become the strategic goal of China's development in the coming period, and it is also an important task to guide China's economic development during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period. The task of higher education is to cultivate senior professionals with innovative spirit and practical ability, develop science and technology culture and promote socialist modernization. Therefore, it is an important task of higher education in the new century to cultivate and improve college students' innovative ability, cultivate a team of high-quality talents and meet the challenges in the future. Then, as a contemporary college student, how should we cultivate our innovative consciousness and ability? First of all, college students should be clear about the importance of innovation consciousness and innovation ability, and establish the idea of cultivating innovation ability. It is the basis of material consciousness, and consciousness is the premise for people to form ideas and then sublimate into spirit. Concept is the forerunner of action, and people's actions are always carried out under the guidance of certain concepts. Only the right idea can produce the right action. Therefore, cultivating innovative ideas is an indispensable prerequisite for cultivating and improving the innovative ability of college students, and attention should be paid to the renewal of innovative ideas of college students. Secondly, accumulating solid basic knowledge is the basis of cultivating innovative consciousness and ability.