Advice for a Graduate
5 Things You Should Know When You Head to College
dedicated to my niece on her high school graduation
Mazel tov! As someone who has taught college courses for about a decade, let me share with you some words of wisdom that I wish that I knew when I started school and that I wish my students knew.
- It’s going to be harder than you think, and that doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with you. Develop a growth mindset. If you don’t do as well at something at college, ask your professor or TA for help.
2. Recognize the skills that are necessary to succeed at college and start learning them. Get a writing style guide and a guidebook like How to College by Andrea Malkin Brenner and Lara Hope Schwartz. Find out what resources are available on your campus to improve your study and writing skills and get help on your papers. There’s no shame in getting help.
3. Prepare for some tough conversations, especially about race and gender. This summer, prepare yourself by reading So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and We Should All Be Feminists by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie.
4. Start opening yourself up to figure out who you are. That’s what college is for. Get a journal and write in it. Make a list of communities that you want to connect to when you get to campus — religious, social, hobby-based, etc. Sign up for a course in the Fall unrelated to what you think you will major in.
5. Learn about the epidemic of sexual violence on college campuses. I recommend reading The Hunting Ground based on the documentary. The first few months of college are the most dangerous. If you are not victimized, your friends may be, so keep RAINN handy if you or your friend need to talk to a counselor after being victimized.
In college, you will make mistakes and not everything will go perfectly. But you’ll also make some of the best friends of your life, learn more than you can imagine, and you’ll train for your future career. May it be everything you dreamed of and more.
To my dear niece, know that there is a box coming your way with all of these books and a few gifts. To readers looking to get a high school graduation gift, consider sharing this piece and gift the books listed above.
