Extracurriculars

Both college and high school would be vastly incomplete without something other than academics that students could get involved in. Extracurricular activities are an unquestionably important part of a complete educational experience. However, there is a right and a wrong way to incorporate them into your schooling career. You are probably already aware of most of the ways extracurriculars can go horribly wrong. Stacking way too many of them drains very large amounts of time out of your schedule, and as a result, your grades suffer. If you're not sure whether you're doing too many, compare your grades at the end of semester or marking period, to those you had in a previous section of time, and see if there are any markable differences. If so, drop a few activities, and try again, once again comparing results and adapting accordingly. Another way extracurriculars can be done incorrectly is doing them solely to add padding to your resume, and thus, performing poorly in them. When you have absolutely no interest in something, it will show subconsciously, whether you'd like it to or not. We like to provide realistic advice on this website, so I understand that a ton of students will do extracurriculars, regardless of desire level, to make themselves more valuable to colleges and graduate schools. However, at least try to make sure that you have some semblance of an interest in whatever the extracurricular happens to be. In this way, you'll not only be somewhat entertained, but as a result, you'll probably make a more meaningful contribution. Another way extracurriculars can go wrong is to not do any at all. A lot of students might carry the mindset of: "Why waste time on extracurriculars when I can devote those hours to studying, and getting a better GPA. Won't a higher GPA mean more to colleges than any extracurriculars will?" This is a valid concern, but do you think a higher GPA will mean more to colleges than absolutely NO extracurriculars will? Colleges will look at your records and see just what you have presented yourself as, that is, a straight up student who has no interests other than getting high grades. Is this the image of yourself you want colleges to perceive? Perhaps GPA points are worth more than extracurriculars in the long run, but a student who has no, or very few, activities on his record will definitely raise a few red flags in the admissions office. If managed carefully, extracurriculars are an excellent way of not only unloading some of the pressure of school, but discovering something about yourself, learning something new, meeting new people, and more practically, standing out amongst other students.

What Constitutes a ‘Good’ College?

With approximately 95 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes left until Early Decision, you're probably scrambling from forum to forum figuring out which are those ‘Good’ colleges that you should apply to.  Well, what exactly makes a college ‘good? Is it the reputation?  Is it it's cost-effectiveness?  Or is it perhaps how well the investment of your money pays off?  Indubitably, these are all attributes of a decent college, and a combination of this sort, with the inclusion of other elements, certainly showcases that top school. But something is missing in this laundry list, something that is indispensable for the ideal learning experience – student: professor ratio. When applying to those colleges, especially the big name schools like MIT, Harvard, Princeton and Yale, make sure that the student-professor ratio is not 20:1 or anything higher!  One of the most crucial factors which leads to that rich learning experience is your relationship with your professor: it may sound ridiculous at first, but will he or she even know your name? At big name schools, there is sometimes a tendency for professors to be more concerned with their research than their students. Many professors fall victim to the ‘Publish or Perish’ ideology within the research schools, so sometimes you may not be  actually receiving that top dollar education that you're paying for.  For example, although the school will cost $50,000+ and boast about its faculty sponsored research, in reality, the undergraduate student will rarely contribute to any of that ‘research.’  In most cases, it will be either a graduate or a Ph.D. student.  The truth is, with the large student to professor ratio, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to work on prize-winning research and at the same time be grading, lecturing, and planning lessons.   Given the high ratio within these ‘Research’ Universities, the chances are high that you're paying just for the ‘name,’ or just for the research, but not to actually be a part of it. On the other hand, a low student-professor ratio allows you to get to know more about your professor; it opens the doors for internships/job opportunities, letters of recommendation, and most importantly, provides an enriched learning environment which ultimately teaches you to step through those doors of success.  A low ratio allows for a rich quality of education which not only presents you with a multitude of opportunities, but allows you to make the most of them.  Thus, for a school to be truly ‘good,’ it must not only possess that prestigious reputation, but must also live up to its expectations regarding the quality of education. If you are still unsure, sit in on a class and ask yourself if this is how you want to spend your next three or four years.  After all, it never hurts to visit a school you are deeply interested in. Do not forget that you can always ‘try it before you buy it'!-originally written by Stan

Pursuing That College Career

Included in the title are four words that, when combined, elicit different responses from everyone, yet beg the same question – ‘How much money does this path yield?’ At first glance, this seems like a rational question; After all, many students graduate with a five or even six figure debt, and their loans sure don't pay themselves off either. So logically, everyone rushes to the engineering, medical, computer science, and even legal fields with their eyes set on that $65,000 median salary prize. However, how many of those individuals truly consider the security of the careers they pursue? I am not simply talking about basic job security, but rather, a kind of security which people tend to overlook during the gold rush frenzy after graduation – experience security. What I mean by experience security is being able to find a new job easily after losing an existing job, regardless of whether the company goes under, or you no longer wish to work for them; The question here is, essentially, how adaptable is your skill set? The key point to remember is that your experience has value. You may think of this in terms of an Experience Value curve, which represents how valuable one’s experience is to the company and market that he or she is associated with. Ideally, your value as a worker in the company should increase each day that you are employed. For instance, as mentioned before, many people inundate the engineering field with the idea that their jobs will be secure and their 60-65k starting salary will nullify their debt in a short period of time. However, many overlook the notion that the Experience Value curve is static for engineers after five or ten years. The cost of maintaining your skillset exceeds the cost of simply hiring a new graduate with an updated set of skills and, according to the employer, your experience value can be compensated for in just a short amount of time. Although engineers are in demand in today’s society, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the emphasis on the Experience Value curve is the reason. In fact, it can be quite the contrary. The demand is there because the experience is not valued, and workers are just quickly replaced like products on an assembly line. On the other hand, think about the medical field. Because disease and old age are ubiquitous, doctors will usually be in high demand. However, with each year in the practice, the doctor gains experience, whether it be in another area of medicine or about a new plethora of diseases. Such experience cannot be reduced to the level of pure economic finances, because what becomes valuable here is the experience he or she acquires over extended time, and not their years of medical schooling. In hindsight, the crucial thing to keep in mind when pursuing a career is how much experience is truly valued within that profession. Skills can always be replaced, but experience is priceless. -originally written by Stan

Major Pain

Deciding a major is undoubtedly one of the biggest decisions of the contemporary academic's life. This decision will directly or indirectly affect almost everything that happens to you from the moment you finally make it. Fortunately, in today's world, there are mountains of resources available to help you make the wisest choice possible. There are also a few important things to remember in order to keep your head out of the clouds while you pick your field of study. Picture two points in space, one representing passion, and the other representing practicality. Draw a line between these two points. The ideal decision will lie as close to the midpoint of that line as possible. For example, suppose you love to play a certain musical instrument, and because of that, you want to major in music. A decision like this would obviously fulfill the passion requirement, but what about the practicality? Determining the practicality of a major is more difficult than determining your passion for it, mainly because the answer lies outside of your mind. Practicality must be researched. A good place to start is figuring out which professions spring from your major, and the average salary of these professions. Another practicality factor to research is the future outlook of those professions. A career may look really promising now, but become a dead zone within the coming years. The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a solid reference for both of these bits of information. It also includes many other pragmatic considerations, such as job security, training, projections, etc. On the other end of the spectrum lies a scenario like this: You have absolutely no interest or desire to become a doctor, yet you go into a difficult pre-med program because it's what your parents always wanted, and you heard doctors make a lot of money. Such a choice will obviously lie a lot closer to the practicality endpoint of our decision line. However, before you make a selection like this, you must look inward honestly and ask yourself: "What am I ultimately looking to get out of this world?" If your answer is money, then you're probably making the right decision. However, most people would probably lean towards an answer resembling happiness. In this case, you should probably move yourself a little closer to the passion endpoint of the line. Whether money can buy happiness is still a point of contention for many people, but I can guarantee you that doing something you hate almost everyday of your life will not do any favors for your well being.

Standardized Testing

Perhaps nothing strikes more fear into students than the dreaded standardized test. Whether it is the unpredictability of the questions, the nervousness of doing well, or the sheer horror of having to take a four hour long test, standardized tests oftentimes represent a student’s most difficult academic obstacle. However, as with anything concerning education, standardized test taking is an acquired skill, which can be improved and perfected with hard work. The beauty of standardized tests is exactly that, they are standardized. The fact that they are designed to provide the same bench mark for assessing competency year after year means that there is a wealth of resources available at your disposal. The key, however, is correctly using what is available to you. If you go to your neighborhood Borders or Barnes and Nobles, you are sure to find several hundreds of books concerning taking standardized tests. The books can be roughly condensed into three categories: books which teach you the material on the test, books which provide sample tests, and finally books with reference material. The first step is to go through a book like the Princeton Review or Kaplan, which will teach you the required material on a test. It will also provide you the in and outs of testing, like when it is reasonable to guess, how to eliminate choices and so forth. A good idea is to go through two or more different books of this sort to guarantee you have a firm grasp of what is required. You can likewise supplement your studying with reference material like formula charts and vocabulary cards. Most students have a tendency of stopping here, however, the absolute best way to study for standardized tests is to take as many practice tests as possible. The benefits are numerous. Firstly, you become acquainted with the test’s format, and consequently, are able to pace yourself in the most efficient manner. Secondly, you are applying your knowledge of the material the same way you will come test day. This, in turn, will make you accustomed with all the different ways test makers can ask you the same problem in different words. Finally, taking full tests is the only way to build stamina. You will become fully able to apply yourself throughout a test, rather than deflating like a balloon with every passing hour. Although you can take tests provided by companies like Princeton Review, standardized test makers like College Board annually release official tests from previous years. It is likewise important you begin your studying as soon as possible, which may be several months before the actual test date. By following these simple methods you are guaranteed to have all the tools required to ace that next standardized test.

Group Studying

I've never been a fan of group studying. I tend to avoid it whenever possible, mainly because I'd rather do an effective study session by myself, and then hang out with my friends later without any stress. However, I understand that sometimes such situations cannot be avoided, and may even be beneficial. In what situations is group studying useful? Classes that are very note and lecture based (rather than textbook based) are particularly well suited to group study sessions, since students can compare their notes, and fill each other in on what they've missed. However, from personal experience, I can tell you that having more than three people in a study group almost always turns ugly. More than three people, especially if they're good friends, will not stay focused for long. In fact, even three people is pushing it. If you're going to participate in a group session, try to make the effort to have as little people as possible. When organizing a group study session, ask yourself seriously: Am I doing this in order to study for this test, or to hangout with my friends? There's nothing wrong with the latter. Just don't go thinking to yourself that this is the best way to go about studying, when deep down you know could have done a much better job by yourself. If you're actually serious about the studying, do yourself a favor and try to avoid the group sessions. There'll be plenty of future chances to hit on that girl two seats to the left of you. If you're going to group study anyway, take heed of a few pointers. Firstly, if no one else does, try to control the scene as best as you can without being annoying. If people start getting off topic, remind them politely what the purpose of this get together was. Secondly, make the most of having other people there with you, and ask questions about stuff you're unsure about. Not only will this help you out, but it'll help keep everyone else focused. Thirdly, try to keep group study sessions short and sweet. Everyone's attention span drifts after a while, and three people losing focus is worse than one. Long group study sessions degenerate three times faster than solo ones (Note: Not a proven fact) , so try to reap the benefits of two extra heads in as little time as possible. If done effectively, group sessions can be very helpful. If done incorrectly, they can be a massive and costly waste of time.

Planning Ahead

As a student, it is easy to make the mistake of living in the moment. Whether it be concentrating all your efforts on an upcoming test, or struggling to keep up with the week’s school work, we predictably tend to exert all our energy towards success in the present. However, it is equally important to never lose sight of your long term goals and make a conscious effort to plan for the future. Doing so will not only enrich your current studies by creating a sense of direction, but will likewise increase the rewards which lay in the future. The first step is to form a picture of where you see yourself in the next few years. If you are in high school, it helps to ask yourself what colleges you can see yourself attending or what subject matter you find interesting to study. Begin to research all the various types of requirements associated with applying to college, like standardized tests, essays, scholarships and so forth. If you are in college, experiment with different career paths to find which draw your interest. It would also be worthwhile to look at the job market and try to assess future prospects from intuition or from asking someone more knowledgeable in the field, like a professor. Not being able to create a crystal clear picture of where you will be in three or four years is perfectly normal and it shouldn’t discourage you. The idea is simply to gain a sense of direction. Deciding, for example, whether you are a liberal arts or technical science type of person really is a decision which should be made early on rather than the day before graduation. With a proper footing, the next step is to create a plan of action. Perhaps the most important method you can use is deciding which courses to take and when to take them. Since you already know the requirements for applying to a certain college or majoring in a specific degree from step one, make a sketch of all the classes you have to take, and get an idea of when you will take them. The absolute last thing you want happening is deciding to postpone taking a class for the spring semester, only to find out that the class is only offered in the fall (it happens more often than not). Also, take note of the prerequisites for all of your classes and make sure you overlap them properly. A delightful side effect would be some free spots in your schedule to take an elective class you find interesting, complete a particular extracurricular activity you like, or perhaps even minor in a certain subject. Remember to get a head start on studying for standardized tests rather than saving it for the week before, and try networking with every opportunity instead of waiting until you are in dire need of a connection.

Study Spots

Students often mistake time spent studying for progress made in studying. Just like in any endeavor, if you work for the sake of occupying time, then your results will be lackluster. There is a simple formula to refer to in order to calculate how much real studying you've gotten done. Success in studying is equal to time spent studying multiplied by the intensity of your focus. So, if you are studying with an intensity of focus near 0, then the real amount of studying you will have completed will also be not too far from 0. A lack of intensity of focus is frequently what keeps students from realizing their academic potential. Too often do I see students spend enormous amounts of time studying, yet have little to show for it. This is not only demonstrates poor studying skills, but also kills self-esteem. These students are deceiving themselves - they convince themselves that they are doing their best, but are not able to succeed. These students blame a lack of intelligence on their part for their failure when really it's a lack of study skills that inhibits their progress. The problem often lies in where the studying is attempted. Your dorm room is probably one of the worst place you could possibly study.   The only thing your dorm room has going for it is convenience.  With all of the distractions present both inside and outside your room (such as your friends, an array of distracting technology, and a roommate), it's no wonder that students spend many hours studying in their dorm room and are disappointed when they receive their exam grade. Even if you have minor success with studying in your dorm room, you should realize that you can cut the time you spend studying into a fraction of what it currently is. In order to truly become effective at studying you must find a study spot that allows you to maximize your intensity of focus (and thus your productivity) while you study. Naturally a good place for this is the library. However, a study spot can be anywhere that is relatively quiet, secluded, and free of distractions. If you enjoy studying outside then finding a secluded table or bench somewhere can be just as effective as the library. Find a spot that you can mark as your own - somewhere that your brain will soon classify as a place for serious work. Once you you start doing this you should see an instant boost in both the quantity and quality of your work. Feel free to experiment with different locations until you find one that fits you.

Studying the Tests

A lot of students nowadays don't seem to understand, or are even aware, that there's a fundamental difference between learning in school, and succeeding in school. This difference is key because it is an excellent guideline to how you should approach almost everything in school that will count for a grade. Suppose you have a biology test tomorrow. Would the optimal approach be to sit down and start reading the biology textbook from page 1? Assuming your goal is to gain as much learning as possible, that would probably be a good place to start. However, the successful student must think more practically. This student understands that doing well on tests is more about studying the test than studying the material. Half the battle of doing well on tests is to find out as much as humanly possible about what exactly your instructor will be examining you on. You can spend literally days studying and still fail a test because you did not focus your efforts in the proper places. Be "that guy" and ask the professor as many questions as you feel are essential. If you feel embarrassed, ask him after class. He might get annoyed, but he'll also begin to understand that you really care about your performance, and that'll pay important dividends when he decides your final grade(also, he'll actually learn your name). Make sure to listen to other students' questions as well, for even the greatest mind cannot do the work of a few. Lectures are also invaluable resources for possible exam questions. Listen for what your instructor emphasizes multiple times, as this is almost a guarantee that that topic will show up as a question in some form or another. Once you have compiled all this information, only then is it time to begin the studying process. Remember, you are not trying to learn the material; you are trying to learn the test. Study almost exclusively from the information you collected. Also, remember that it's never too late to collect or update your test database. Keep your ears open. The professor may suddenly decide to take something off the test, or add an additional topic. It is up to you and only you to notice these things. Making a lot of friends in the class makes this step (and life in general) a lot easier. Also, try to trust your gut. If the professor didn't mention specifically that something was going to be on the test, but something in your gut just tells you it will be, go ahead and review it. It's all about predicting the test questions. Sure, some people might think that what I'm saying here is an insult to the teachers and their teaching method, but this strategy is not an attempt to insult anybody. It is simply playing the game using the rules the system has set up for you. That's life, and we have to do our best to adapt and thrive in it.