College: Streaking Through the Quad

It's that time of the year again, fall is riding in on the crisp cool air that seems to be overtaking summer nights, and millions of students across America are losing sleep as they prepare to take on one of the biggest challenges of their lives: High School. In the spirit of making the transition a little less chaotic, I've decided to include a piece I was asked write as a sample academic reflection paper targeted to sophomores to display collegiate level writing and citation structure. While the piece is light, it offers some legitimate tips for preparing for the college experience, and I invite you to share it with the students in your life that might need a little reassuring.

“We’re going streaking through the quad and then to the gymnasium! Come on every body!” (Phillips, T. (Director). (2003) Old School [Motion Picture]. As said by the character Frank “The Tank” Ricard .)

Dear High School Sophomore:

Hollywood lied. You will not be going streaking; or least you will not go streaking through the quad, because, even if you did make it to the gymnasium, campus security would make sure your college adventure had a different ending then what you had planned. I’m guessing you probably already had that much figured out. I would also assume that by now you have had time to realize that while movies can be a great resource for learning about parts of the college experience, they hardly show the whole picture. If you are anything like me, you are wrapping up your first year of high school, and know that college is this big looming “thing” that is rapidly approaching. Like me, you might also feel nervous about this fact, and unsure of what to make of the whole process. This is normal. The one thing you need to know above everything else is that every student’s college experience will be different, but there are a few key notes that can help you start off on the right foot. I won’t pretend to be an expert, but in this piece I aim to show how you can start setting yourself up for success now, how to make sure when it comes to application time, and of course, give you some insight into college life itself.

First, let’s focus on where you are now. High school is its own mountain, as I’m sure you’ve already figured out. It may be easy to be distracted by all of the social politics at hand, but it is important to remember that the choices you make now will have more of an impact on the choices you will be able to make in the future than you may think. That may sound intimidating, but just like with anything else, there are two sides to it. Do not be afraid to have fun and learn more about what you like, because this will help you make informed decisions as you choose a college path. At the same time, if you begin to realize now that hard work allows you to avoid stress and gives you more options in the long run, you will be ahead of many of your peers. As the Harvard College Department of Admissions and Financial Aid section on preparing for college points out: “A good high school education should do more than prepare you for the next level of education or for later employment—it should prepare you to take advantage of future learning opportunities of all kinds.” (“Preparing for College” 2016). Use the time you have now to grow your resources and prepare yourself for not only your college experience, but what you want to do beyond that. Join clubs to build your academic resume, meet with the teachers of your favorite classes and ask them about their experience (they likely have a degree in the subject, or something similar) in post-secondary. This is a great way to find out what to expect, decide whether or not it is a compatible field for you, and to potentially even earn a valuable reference during your college application process. Meet with your school guidance counselor (or equivalent), and discuss what you like about school so far, as well as what you struggle with. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses early on will make choosing a post-secondary path much easier. If you are particularly driven in one or two areas (biology, and chemistry), for example, see if they can put you in contact with someone who has a profession in a related field. You may be able to shadow them, and may earn a mentor that will help you prepare for professional life beyond college.

Once you have had a chance to explore things a little more during your Junior and Senior year and school, the time will come to begin the application process for post-secondary. This is where having an existing relationship with your guidance or career counsellor can be a definite advantage. In the interest of being honest: admission essays are difficult, even if you are not planning on going to an Ivy League institution. Do not let that deter you, however, because much like the actual experience of going to college, the more difficult the challenge, the greater the reward tends to be. If you can, plan to spend some time during Junior year (or at least the Summer before your Senior year) seriously researching which school is best for you. Aim to have somewhere between three to five options, and once you’ve narrowed it down to your top choices, do more research. Remember: in college research and deadlines are going to be your friends (or at least like a sibling that just won’t leave you alone), so you might as well get comfortable with them now. Check admissions sections online to see what their requirements are, see if there are people within the department you can talk to in order to get a tour and gain further advice on getting accepted. The more curious (and professional) you are, the more likely you are to be successful. When it comes to the actual application process try to focus on the following: your SATs. It might be a topic you hear far too much about, but for good reason. If you want to have the ability to maintain a little control over where you attend, the score you get does matter. Study hard and remember that it pays off in the future. If you have spent the time building relationships with your teachers and have taken part in any extra circular activities, finding references should be relatively easy. The most challenging part for most students, myself included, is the application essay. The best advice I can give is this: give yourself lots of time to write and edit (maybe even have someone you trust review it as well), and learn how to highlight your skills. Show your informed knowledge of their school, and do your best to show why you are the right fit. Pay attention to deadlines, and make sure you submit your full package with more than enough time to spare. 

Once you have successfully applied and have been accepted to a school, the real challenge begins. I remember the Summer before my first year well. All the build up to preparing for school had passed, and I entered an odd limbo period before properly starting my college experience. I was relieved to know where I was headed in the fall, but terrified to realize this big “thing” I had spent all my time preparing for was coming faster than ever. Having survived this far, I will offer you this advice for your first few months and beyond: at the very beginning, realize that it is completely normal and acceptable to feel out of place. In a way, this feeling does not seem to fade, but can be an asset to helping you discover how you want the academic process to go for you. While Hollywood would have you believe that everyone’s college years are full of keg stands, sorority parties, and hungover essay writing, there is no generic college experience. Yes, the things you see do exist, and yes, in theory you can partake in them with a positive result. I cannot tell you how your time spent at college should go, or the choices you should make. The entire advantage of the academic experience, particularly at this point, is that it is in your hands to decide for yourself how you are going to progress. What I will advise, however, is to come prepared to be challenged in ways that you have never anticipated. Some of your classes may be huge, with over 400 or more students. Some may be small with only 10. In either one, if you want to succeed, you will have to fight to stand out in a positive manner. Plan ahead. Make notes that will help you recall what you need to (I cannot stress how important this is. There is nothing worse than having to do an assignment and realizing that you have nothing to reference), ask questions (because if you’re thinking it, chances are at least 3 other people are), and work hard. 

You will not want to stay in your dorm or at home writing essays and doing equations through the night. You will not want to attend an 8 am class, much less an 8 am final. There will be days that you hate everything in the universe and wonder why you decided this was a better option than taking a year to go explore Africa or something else that seems more “fun”. Most importantly, you’ll come to realize you’re not the only one that feels that way, and that in a strange way, college is forcing you to choose what you’re going to do about it. Some will solider on and complete their program, and others will decide they’ve had enough. There is no right or wrong choice in that regard, but if you spend time getting to know your peers and visiting office hours for the classes that you both love, and (unfortunately) hate, you’ll have a little more confidence managing the stress that all students face. Try to remember that you’ve worked hard to get where you are, and that giving up rarely leaves you satisfied in the long term.

In the end, I’ll be the first to admit that we live in a society that passively teaches that all post-secondary offers is a few years of reading books and a lifetime of crippling debt. Sure, you won’t learn everything you need to know by sitting in a classroom, and sure it’s easy to point out the billionaires that dropped out and made their own way (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg, to name a few). That’s fine. As stated above, it is not the best environment for everyone. Even so, I would argue that, as I’ve found so far, your time spent in college has the possibility to be some of the most informative years of your life. Where you go and what you do after (and during) is entirely put to you. The “hungry" and “foolish” (Jobs, 2005) graduates that remain determined to make their own way, will, one way or another. At the very least, you will have the opportunity to live in a world that is far bigger and fuller of opportunity that you knew existed. College won’t shape you, but it will give you the chance to shape yourself, and that, my sophomore friend, is worth more than you think.

Citation List

Phillips, T. (Director). (n.d.). Old School [Motion picture on 2003]. USA: Dreamworks.

 Frank "The Tank" Ricard (Character)

Harvard College (2016). Preparing for College. Retrieved April, 2016, from https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/preparing-college 

No author directly listed or exact publication date given

Jobs, S. (2005, June 12). Standford Commencement 2005. Speech presented at Standford Commencement in CA, Stanford. Retrieved April, 2016, from https://news.stanford.edu/2005/06/14/jobs-061505/.