Advice for high school graduates
A high school graduate wrote to me: “I will be attending college next year and enrolling in software engineering field. (Note: I took advice from your blog.) Since I still have few months of vacation, what do you suggest that I do before starting college? Please advise.”
Answer: Since you will start college in September, there are many things that you can do now to prepare for your future. Although you have selected Software Engineering, (Note: Good choice) you still need to prepare a personal career plan in details (Read my blog articles about planning a career and personal goals). Basically, there are more things to do than just select a field of study as you will need to identify your strengths and weaknesses and compare them with what you will learn in college to identify gap. You can review your past performance in high school to identify what you will need to improve in order to succeed in college and review high school materials like math, foreign language and writing, as they are important in your field of study.
I always advice students to read more as it is important in college. You will have to read a lot within a limited time so start reading now to build a good habit. Try to read as much as possible during this summer. You can read anything that you like as the idea is to develop a good reading habit to help keep your mind active. (i.e., “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman or “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson or download some e-books from this blog to read).
College study will require a lot more time to study than high school did. You must learn to organize how you will spend your time to study, do homework, as well as time with friends. You have to find a balance that will work for you. Time management is a key component of college success so you may need to practice this skill before you start college. You do not have to be too strict or arrange each minute of your day, but create a schedule for certain activities and then follow it. By having a schedule of daily activities is the first step so when you begin college, you will find it easier to manage your time.
When you are in college, you will not have enough time with your family so take time to spend with your family now. You must show your gratitude to your parents as they have raised you and take care of you until now. Many college students are often busy with school works, with friends, and other activities and fail to pay attention to their parents. Before going to college, this is the best time to spend with family and appreciate what your parents have done for you. Gratitude towards parents is an important thing because the relationship with your parents will have a profound impact on your maturity and responsibilities in later life.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
