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
