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.

Are You Just Showing Up?

What are you doing this week to have a great semester?  It's hard to think about academic performance with Spring Break so close, but I implore you to stay focused.

I know you may think I sound like a broken record, and for that I apologize.  However, there are things that I witness students doing semester after semester and year after year that can make or break their GPA.  The second semester of your first year can sometimes prove to be a bigger challenge than the first, particularly if you were able to rely on high school habits to get by.  There are also bare minimums that work, they do.  

• read, Read, READ
• attend and be present for every class meeting
• complete every assignment
• ask questions when you don't understand

I've said this before and I'll say it again.  Being a good college student isn't magic and it isn't rocket science, but it is work.  Real work.  Perhaps more work and effort than you've put into being a student before.  Commit to doing more than just showing up.  Commit to making school and learning a priority and you'll reap the benefits.  You know I have faith that you can do it and won't have to be on the wrong side of academic probation before you believe me.  Now go forth and learn!

Still Bouncing Back

This week's radio broadcast on Tassel to Tassel Radio was all about bouncing back from bad grades.  There I made some suggestions for having a good Spring semester, regardless of your GPA.  The bottom line is . . . you can do well in college.  The key is to identify your talents and be committed to the level of work that is necessary for success.  That is potentially different for everyone so you may have to do things differently than your friends or classmates.

It may take time to get as good as you want to be.  Don't get discouraged; dig in.  I'm not naive; I know at times this is easier said than done.  You can do it if you stick it out.  Etch that class material into your brain by reading, working problems,  seeing your professor, and studying.

Do a little more each day.  Read 10 more minutes.  Do one extra problem.  Ask one question in class or office hours.  The more you do it, the easier it gets.  Soon enough it'll be second nature. I have faith in you.

Fight to the Finish!

Believe it or not, your first semester in college is almost over.  This or next week is most likely your last week of classes.  As you prepare for finals, step back and evaluate it from all aspects.  Think about the academic and social habits you established this semester . . . and whether they are they habits that contribute to your college success or ones that need to be fine tuned.

Now that you've reflected on your habits, let's talk about how you can efficiently prepare for final exams.  Some courses/professor provide study guides -- particularly if there is a common final.  Begin studying as soon as you get it.  Set aside a little bit of time every night to complete a section of the guide.  If you aren't given a study guide, you can make one.  Here's how:

1. Begin by using each syllabus topic as a heading.  
2. For each topic, identify concepts, formulas, and main ideas you should know.  If you're not sure, then look at the sections in the text that correspond to the syllabus topic.
3. Compare your study guide with a friend's.  By now you ideally have 1-2 people in each class that you can contact.  If not, make a new friend FAST.  You know who's been asking the good questions.  

Last but not least, begin reviewing now so that you don't cram later.Biting off a piece at a time gives you time to process and ask questions of your professor, TA, or friends when you're confused.  Wait until the last minute and you're up all night trying to understand by yourself.  Study all along and you don't have to study long the night before!

Good luck and finish strong!