This is the time of year when stressed college applicants bring their essays to teachers, counselors and private college counselors for “feedback.” If you have students who are seeking your help, it’s important to remember that not all of your kids are going to write perfect college essays. In fact, it is not your job […]
Read More >Don’t jump in
Many parents want to step back from the college application process, but worry that their 17-year-old isn’t taking it seriously enough. Some of those worried parents will jump in and fill out applications for their kids. Don’t do it. I understand that it’s tempting to take control if you feel your kid is making a […]
Read More >How to take better notes
According to study skills author Cal Newport, average students take notes “to capture the information,” but straight-A students take notes “to reduce study time." Newport estimates that for every hour you spend in class, you can shave 20-30 minutes off the study time required to get an “A” on the test if you take notes […]
Read More >Avoiding a final exam nightmare
I had the same recurring dream last night that I’ve been having for 20 years. I arrive to take a final exam—sometimes it’s college, other times, high school—and I know absolutely nothing about the content. I’m going to tank the exam, and I have to start rehearsing how to tell my parents that I’m not […]
Read More >How do you get the most out of college?
If you have questions about how to get the most return for your college education investment, the authors of Getting the Best Out of College, Revised and Updated: Insider Advice for Success from a Professor, a Dean, and a Recent Grad, are taking questions over on the Freakonomics blog. Here’s the part that grabbed me: […]
Read More >A collection of posts for parents
Here are a few past posts—and links to a few written by others—that address common challenges for parents as your kids progress through school. If you’ve got younger kids and are considering where to send them to high school, here’s my perspective. And here are some tips from Jay Mathews. Consider these five things before […]
Read More >If you’re stressed…
…it's likely a result of something you're not doing. From an interview with Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos: Stress primarily comes from not taking action over something that you can have some control over. So, if I find that some particular thing is causing me to have stress, that's a warning flag for me. What it […]
Read More >Give thanks for your funds
When I was in high school and our soccer team needed new uniforms, I wrote letters to local businesses (nope, no email back then) asking if they’d be willing to make a contribution to help us raise funds. We raised all the money and got our uniforms (and had a championship season). Then my mom […]
Read More >Sound like you
“Write to be read, don’t write just to write. Whenever you write something, read it out loud. Does it sound the way it would if you were actually talking to someone? If not, how can you make it more conversational? Who said writing needs to be formal? Who said you have to strip away your personality when putting words […]
Read More >“If the U Fits” in the Washington Post
Jay Mathews, education writer for the Washington Post and author of Harvard Schmarvard, wrote a column yesterday about my book, "If the U Fits." He’s been working for a long time to help people see that what you do in college is a lot more important than where you do it. Thanks for the nice […]
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