A new year, a new you
January 8th, 2018The new year is a time to start over for many people, which makes January the perfect opportunity to make productive changes in your life. Gym memberships are at an all time high right now and many people use the new year to adjust eating habits and kick their workouts into high gear. Aside from that aspect of getting fit, I am here to offer you some resolutions that will whip this academic year into shape!
The article we link you to today is written for college students, but applies to high school and boarding school students as well. Writer Kelci Lynn Lucier’s ideas are inspiring and achievable, which makes this piece especially useful to all. Here is to making 2018 your best academic year yet!
Published December 17, 2017
Written by: Kelci Lynn Lucier (for Thoughtco.com)
While New Year’s Eve often brings a party, the new year itself often brings great hopes for change and growth. If you’re a college student, the new year presents the perfect time to set some resolutions that can help make your academic year more positive, productive, and enjoyable.
Good New Year’s resolutions, of course, are not just those that address the things in your life you’d like to change or improve upon; they also are realistic enough that you’re more likely than not to stick with them.
Read more at ThoughtCo >>Tagged: Boarding school, Choices, College, High school, Opportunity
Advice from a mediocre student
November 27th, 2017“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” This famous quote from Mark Twain had me thinking about the population I work with. High school and college students are at an age where small choices can have a major impact on their future. Choosing the right school, participating in class discussions, and building relationships with teachers and professors ultimately lead you to what lies ahead.
In today’s article, Susan Shapiro shares some of her regrets as she relives life as a mediocre college student. In her honest and very telling piece she discusses things she missed out on due to some of her poor choices. Much of her advice could also be applied to high school students as they wind down their first semester to maximize their success. This article, we think, is relevant to all.
Article below referenced from New York Times
I taught my first class at Columbia University’s M.F.A. program this month, and even though I’ve been teaching college writing since 1993, I initially felt a little intimidated by the school’s regal campus. That, and regretful.
I enjoyed going to college at the University of Michigan, an hour from home, but my secret humiliation is: I was the type of mediocre student I now disdain. As a freshman, I cared about my friends, my boyfriend and my poetry. Or, I cared about what my boyfriend thought of my friends, what my friends thought of him, and what they thought of my poetry about him. Here’s what I wish I’d known and done differently:
Read more at New York Times >>Tagged: Choices, College, Opportunity
Changing the world one start-up at a time
August 21st, 2017Have you ever had a great idea for a business that you thought could really make a change? Starting a business is not easy and for that reason most great ideas remain dormant. It takes time, resources/money and courage to start up something new, and sometimes it is hard to take that leap of faith and believe that you can make something of your idea.
In today’s article, from NBC News, the story of two young men from Pakistan whose vision became a reality is shared. These young entrepreneurs were encouraged by their Drexel University professor to put forth the effort to create something they believed in. This is a wonderful article that encourages students to harness their creative powers, identify problems in need of solutions, and bring change to the world. To find out more about these young entrepreneurs, click on the article link below.
We’d also like to note that several Shrop Ed advisees have created companies while undergraduates, and some have received wonderful recognition for their ideas. Perhaps you’ll be the next!
Article referenced below from NBC News
Danish Dhamani was painfully self-aware of his accent when he arrived in the U.S. four years ago.
Born in Pakistan and raised in Tanzania, Dhamani was riddled with anxiety at the thought of speaking in class at Drexel University. Worried this would hold him back, he sought out coaching. Dhamani improved over time, and pretty soon it hit him: No one was born a public speaker, but with a little practice, anyone could become one. But what if you don’t have the time, money or motivation to work with a coach?
The 22-year-old mechanical engineering student and his friend Paritosh Gupta, both students at Drexel, decided to create a mobile app that would help users improve their public speaking skills. The duo, who lived in the same dorm their freshmen year and became fast friends, brought that vision to life in the form of Orai.
(You’ll note that sharing the NBC web page with this article are several other articles that do not pertain to to the main story … but if you continue to scroll down once on the page, you’ll find more about student entrepreneurs).
Read more at NBC News >>Tagged: Career, Choices, College, Opportunity, Personal characteristics
