Where Are You Now?

Believe it or not, the semester is actually getting ready to wind down.  It feels like you just got back from spring break, and that actually is the case for many of you, but there honestly aren't very many weeks left before the semester is over and you are officially no longer a college freshman!

However, right now you are a freshman and in the throws of a second semester that you all are experiencing with varying degrees of success.  We are all works in progress and it helps to periodically take stock of where you are and think about what is working and what needs to change.  Time and time again I see first year students who are overwhelmed, dazed and confused, or just unsure about what to do.  Have confidence, but be realistic about where you stand academically and what options you have for the remainder of the semester and the summer.

What did your mid-term exams and papers look like?  Do you feel as though you've learned content and grown as a student this semester?  Are you employing good study habits and not doing the same things you did in your former life (i.e. high school habits)?  Have you received any decisions from your summer applications?  Is summer school in your immediate future?  Be real.

Think about it and change what you can to do what you can for the next few weeks.  Hopefully you can at least say you are growing, regardless of whether or not your grades show it.  I personally believe it is sometimes possible for someone's grades not to reflect their improvement.  However, your transcript is usually what people see first and they have no reason to dig deeper if you can't impress them.

So, do more.  Study harder and smarter.  Use your resources.  And check in with me later.

The Personal Statement

Writing a statement about yourself can be difficult.  I mean, you do know yourself better than anyone, but you are a very complex, multi-faceted person and it can be challenging knowing where to start.

As I mentioned in this week's episode of Tassel to Tassel Radio, sometimes an application will have specific questions for you to answer that can shape your statement.  However, there are times when you are left to your own devices.  While that may feel undirected, it is a way for you to demonstrate that you are able to write with focus.  So let me help you out.  When given no questions, simply answer these three:

1. What influenced your decision to choose your major and pursue your field of study?
2. What do you hope to gain from participating in this particular program or being employed by this company?
3. What makes you a good candidate? (Think skills, not qualities.)

If you find you still need help as you answer these, be resourceful.  Check out your career services center or campus writing center.  I think Purdue has a great resource in their Online Writing Lab and have directed my own students there for sample documents.

Regardless of whether you are answering specific questions or using my suggested ones, always use an outline to direct your writing and ALWAYS have someone review your writing before you submit it.  Incorporate the feedback, even if it leads to a second (or third) draft.  We're not perfect and that's okay.  We are all works in progress.

So as you finish up your summer applications, begin your essays with enough time to have them reviewed and reworked.  I can't wait to hear all about your summer plans once the acceptances begin rolling in.  

Requesting Recommendation Letters

With application season underway, it's time to get your recommendations lined up.  Some applications will allow you to use high school teachers, but most will expect you to use college faculty and staff.  After all you are a college student now and hopefully you got to know some people last semester.  So as you consider who to ask, keep these things in mind:

1. In what class can you say you have made a positive impression on your instructor?
2. Is there an advisor who knows you farily well?
3. Does your recommender know more about you than your grade in their class?
4. What positive attributes has this person witnessed?

Recommendation letters take time and you want to ask (in person when possible) at least three weeks in advance of the application due date if your potential letter writer can write a strong letter of support for you.  It sounds like a no-brainer, but if someone doesn't know you well, the letter may not be stellar, it will only be so-so.  You want to know that before you leave your summer plans in their hands.  Recognize that if you've been mediocre, it may be difficult to find someone to speak for you.  We'll deal with that later and we'll move forward as though you have this locked down.

When the recommender agrees, provide them with everything they need including an updated copy of your resume, program names, information, and application dates for each letter.  Don't over load them with more than three letters and provide a short paragraph about why you want to participate in the program and what makes you a good candidate.  The paragraph will come in handy when you write your personal statement.  

The College Ready Mentality

Okay, welcome to college.  You have your room assignment, your class schedule, your books, and your campus map.  Now what?  Do you just sit back and wait for the 4.0 to happen?  I'm afraid it doesn't work that way but it would be amazing if it did.  No, college is work.  I say this year after year and I'm going to keep saying it until it isn't.  So how do you make college work?  By making the shift from high school student to college student.  I call it the College Ready Mentality.

The College Ready Mentality is a mindset that acknowledges the increased intellectual challenge and level of personal accountability that comes with being a college/university student.  College is hard, and it should be, but it's not impossible.  There are a few things I've identified that can help you make the shift.  They are:

1. Manage your time:  In college you don't have free time, you have time to manage.  You don't have the same classes every single day and you may not have class all day.  Use the time in between classes to be a good student and either review notes from the last class or prepare for your next class.
2. Prioritize: Take stock of your activities and be realistic about what you can do in a certain amount of time and how much you have on your plate.  There will be time when you have have to make decisions between one or two activities.  Here's a hint, choose academics.   
3. Know when to ask for help: At the first sign of difficulty or challenge, go see your professor or teaching assistant.  Don't wait for the night before the exam or the assignment is due to seek assistance.  Get help early and often.  There is no shame in asking.
4. Know how to ask for help: When you do see your professor or TA, go with specific questions.  Even if you don't know what to ask, take a problem (or outline or essay prompt) that is giving you difficulty and let your professor know where you get stuck.  That will get you so much farther than saying "I don't understand this stuff."
5. Be accountable: You are responsible for your college education.  You do the work, you make the decisions, and you earn the grades.  Be honest with yourself about how much you are doing and if you are spending the proper amount of time studying (2 hours for each hour in class) and putting forth genuine effort.  You are moving into adulthood and you have to have the tough conversations with your instructors and be real with yourself. 

I'm not saying that college isn't fun, because this really can be the best years of your life.  You just have to remain conscious of why you're there and use your time wisely.  You'll have different experiences, meet different types of people, and learn so many things about yourself it'll be amazing.  You can do it.  And I'll help you along the way.

Keep it Real

Another week is coming to a close and it’s time to take stock of how you’re doing.  If you need some help, check out the personal habits inventory  (from the Resources) on my website.  Hopefully each week you will find that you can check “Most  Always” for items more than you are checking “Hardly Ever.”  However, as long as you find yourself making progress and moving along over time.

The semester ends in 5-6 weeks (depending on your school) and now is the time to kick it in gear.  Some of you are already there and I encourage you to stay the course and don’t burn yourself out.  Find a way to balance your academic pursuits with things you enjoy and allow you to get away for a while.  The NCAA basketball tournament is a great distraction when you need to lose yourself in something completely non-academic.

Now, if you’re experiencing some challenges, let me encourage you to take an honest look in your academic mirror and think about what you can do differently.  Be real with yourself.    If your first one or two exams in a course didn't go well, then you have a bit of ground to make up if you are aiming for a passing grade.  Earning that grade isn't impossible, but doing so means you will have to make some different decisions.  Go to office hours if you haven’t been.  If you are going, go more.  Incorporate some time at your campus’ academic success center into your time management plan.  If you are making up ground, your time management plan will be much tighter than the person who is seeking to maintain.

Whatever you do, aim for excellence.  The idea is that you will complete each semester with a GPA and knowledge base that will make you competitive for whatever you seek to do and give you options.  The person who graduates from college with the minimum required to complete a degree has very few, if any, options.  And that’s real!

Planning to Succeed

How is your semester and/or freshman year plan coming along?  Are things happening the way you imagined or does it feel like curve balls are being thrown at you?  The more you can establish a routine and work with your time management plan, the fewer curve balls you'll get.  By no means am I saying you won't have any curve balls, but the ones you get will be more manageable if you have a handle on other classes.

As a freshman student, you are fulfilling general education requirements and perhaps one or two major requirements each semester. The same way every student is different, every major is different, but there should be at least one course each semester that doesn't push you to your intellectual limits, leaving room for you to put more effort into the more challenging ones.  Take advantage of that balance now because no matter what your major, at some point you will have a semester with several challenging courses and find yourself studying hard all the time.

I've said it once and I say it again, many times your GPA and transcript aren't a reflection of your intellect so much as they are a reflection of the decisions you make.  You have 7-8 more weeks to make work on making your plan happen.  Make good decisions (studying before you go out, getting up and going to class etc.) and you'll have fewer regrets in May.

And the Oscar Goes To . . .

In honor of Sunday's Academy Awards, I want to use the emotional and poignant speeches of a few winners for this week's post.  These are people who've worked very hard at their craft and have put it a large amount of effort to get where they are.  Some are more well known than others and some have been working at this longer than others.  However, they all have made something amazing happen and have been recognized by their industry for their work.  I take this as inspiration and hope you do, too.

Lupita Nyog'o is more or less a newcomer to the film industry.  When she affirmed that "no matter where you are from, your dreams are valid" she was talking to every one of you who takes the time to read this blog and so many who don't.  How does she know? She knows because it happened to her.  What she has done would make one think she is an overnight sensation.  Sensational she most definitely is, but it didn't happen overnight.  She has a degree in film and theater studies and a masters degree in acting from Yale School of Drama.  She worked to make this happen.

Jared Leto also worked to make things happen.  He, too, attended schools for the arts and spent time honing his craft.  Becoming good at something takes an investment of many hours and multitudes of energy.  He was encouraged by his mother, as many of you are, using her support as his strength. Televisions shows, independent films, blockbusters all are in his repertoire.  He's portrayed many types of characters, demonstrating range and adaptability, both of which can be helpful in many fields, not just acting.

We all know Matthew McConaughey and we know he has been acting for a while.  He is another example of an actor who worked years for the type of acknowledgement he received Sunday night.  Many films and many characters.  He also acknowledged his support -- his family.  Family can be important as you enter this very different and very challenging phase of your life (and beyond).  Family can often be the source of strength and when they have your back, you know it.  Use family to help you grow and succeed.

So the moral of this story is to recognize your talent, put in the time, and the rewards will come.  For some, they come faster than others.  For some, the reward is knowing that you've done your absolute best and are proud of your performance.  That goes for actors .  . . and students.