Making the best of college
Making the best of college: majors, study abroad, internships, jobs, roommates, study tips, thesis writing, and more. For high school graduates and university students.
Much as you may dread it, you do, in fact, have to study for the GRE. Applying to grad school almost always comes at a messy, inconvenient life moment. You're stressed out and handling dozens of other projects and goals... but still. You have to learn the test. You need to know the basic skills. You need to take a practice test. And here's how to do that.
PS I bombed the first time I took the GRE. So for the record, you're not alone.
Read MoreFor those of you who have been readers for a while, you’ll know that podcasts are among my favorite things in the world. So it's with enormous glee that I share my experience being interviewed on the College Info Geek podcast to talk about how volunteering and internships can lead to enormous opportunities. I talk a bit about the lessons learned and insights gained, as well as my general excitement for the chance to be part of the podcast!
Read MoreKorrin Bishop launched her post-graduate life from the network and experience gained through writing an undergraduate thesis. She shares her thesis writing advice, as well as her perspective on leveraging research into 'real world' publication and opportunities.
This is a fabulous post for all those out there who have a thesis looming on the horizon and are wondering how to make it happen an if it really matters. Here's how to do it, and why it's worth the work.
Read MoreYou are majoring in STEM, and you finish your degree with good grades. Now a job should come naturally...right?
A lot of people seem to think that a job will just appear after you graduate from your degree, but there is a difference in just having a job after your finish your bachelor's degree, and having the career you desire. The thing that every person in STEM should do before they graduate is make sure they have an internship (typically summer) or co-op (where you take a semester or year off of school to work). This will show companies that you have work experience, and this will help you determine what type of company you would like to work for in the future.
Read MoreIf we’re lucky, all of us reach a moment when an opportunity is offered. Maybe that chance is something you planned and built toward for years—the outcome of calculation, investment, and initiative. It might also be that an astonishingly perfect opportunity arises basically out of the blue—that you are offered some position or experience that you never quite dared to dream you’d have.
When this happens, I hope you'll say 'yes.'
I did.
Read MoreBy the end of the summer of 2013, with my degree wrapping up and no obvious next steps, I decided I needed to get a job. Like, a real one. I was unsure on pursuing further study, and I felt I needed a change of pace. So, I packed my bags and headed for Boston, my hometown.
I never expected a job to just appear or anything. However, after a few weeks of applying to jobs with no luck, I started to feel that gnawing desperation when you wake up and wonder if you’re in some sort of crazy depressing time warp where you actually never went to college and learned nothing of value during the last five years.
Read MoreAt every stage in the college journey, there is a plethora of shifting logistical and practical questions. Early college questions (How do I register for classes? How do I use the gym? How do I use the online homework website?) give way to mid-college questions (How do I prepare to go abroad? How do I decide if this is the right major for me? How do I move off-campus and deal with all the accompanying real-life logistics?) and finally to the questions that plague soon-to-be graduates (How do I turn in my thesis? How do I get transcripts? How am I going to make it in the real world…)
Read MoreThe first week back at school is a really good time to think through what you hope for and need for the coming year, and to examine how your decisions now will impact your long-term goals and successes. I’m suspicious of New Year’s Resolutions—the middle of winter is a dreadful time to launch significant life changes and a disruptive point in the calendar to make decisions, particularly when you’re living on the school calendar. However, the start of a new school year is a great time to make some decisions about this coming academic year… and about what comes next.
Read MoreThe low cost of tuition allows you, the student, to fulfill courses required for graduation while also taking classes to broaden your perspective, pursue your interests, and determine your future major. Many students arrive at expensive, four year institutions with the “undecided” block checked and spend a great deal of money trying to find their passion when they could have spent dramatically less had their search began at a community college.
Read MoreThe personal statement can be the hardest part of an application process. Whether it’s for a job or for continuing education, the personal statement is the part of the application that allows you to share your actual personality, thoughts, and journey in a narrative way.
Read MoreOne of the weird things about leaving home to go to college is that there’s an awful lot you have to learn and acclimatize to all at once. Not only do you have to adapt to a new style of teaching and learning, but you also are thrown into being in charge of maintaining your own life. I grew up doing chores, but my folks did a lot of looking after me. So I arrived at college knowing how to vacuum and wash dishes, but not how to do a myriad of other “grown up” things. I had to learn on the fly… and with varying degrees of success.
Read MoreSome people enter college knowing exactly what path they will take, beginning freshman year and ending in a job. For many others, it's not such a direct route.
First, make sure you know that NOT knowing is completely acceptable. You just have to design a path for yourself that will allow you to explore your options. College is a huge investment in terms of time and money, so when you go, it’s better to be sure you have a solid idea of what you might want to do. Set goals for yourself, and if you don’t meet them, don’t be too hard on yourself. Just try again, and stay focused on finding what you can do for the long haul, and don’t sweat the small things.
Read MoreThis advice for crafting a college essay comes from a high school language arts teacher, who speaks from many years of helping high school students prepare for college. As you write your college application personal essay, keep this question in mind: Are you able to get beyond voiceless reporting to an engaging description which makes use of various stylistic devices so as to persuade?
Read MoreGraduation can be a bit of a jolt. Suddenly you’re not a high school student anymore, and you’re not a college student yet. You’ve just accomplished one of life’s big milestones, and you have the next on the horizon. It’s the short-term future that’s tricky: it’s filling these next few months.
Read MoreThis list of the five books you should read before college builds on two previous lists: one from me and another list by former philosophy major and frequent contributor to My College Advice, Miles Raymer. Professor X has more than 20 years of science teaching experience at the University of Oregon, and has previously written contributed an article entitled "The Transition From High School to College" on this site. Enjoy!
Read MoreAdvice for college and university students. Roommates, majors, study abroad, travel, essay writing, study tips, admissions, professors, internships, and mentoring. Make college an amazing experience.
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