Advice to high school graduates
At this time I know that some of you have not thinking about college. You are just graduating from high school; thinking about college is probably the last thing on your mind. It is summer and you have passed a baccalaureate exam so you think that you deserve a long vacation since you still have plenty of time to think about college. It is a big mistake if you are not preparing for college now.
Even college is still few months in the future; it is coming faster than you think. If you follow some of my advice now, you will be much better by the time you begin college. You will feel more confidence than some of your friends. The first thing you need is learning how to study in college. I know you may be thinking that you already know how to study, and you did well in your exam so why do you have to learn to study. However, studying in college is not like in high school. In fact, it requires you to think more and memorize less. You will have to read a lot more and in a very short time so if you do not prepare now, you will have difficulty later. For those who memorize well, college may be even more difficult because it has so many materials that will overwhelm you. For those who like to cram for a test the night before and hope that you will pass. Please do not do this; cramming will hurt you more in college. You may succeed in cramming for test in high school but it will not work in college. In high school you get tested on a small amount of material and most teachers told you what they want on the test. In college, you get tested on a lot of materials, five to ten times more than in high school and most professors do not expect that you memorize things on their tests; they want you to think, analyze, and solve problems. If you cram, you will not be able to solve anything so you will look at the test and ask yourself whether you should go to college or not because you really know nothing on the test.
To avoid this situation in college, you must learn to study now. You must learn to manage your time, organize your work and develop a good study habit. You need to learn to read fast be able to understand which is important and which is not. You must take notes, read and re-read all materials until you really know them. If you develop a habit of study the material before class and spend few hours review the materials immediately after class, you will understand them more. If you understand them well, you can apply them to solve problems then you will do well in college.
By this time you must think about the type of college you want to attend. You should apply to several colleges because admission is competitive and no one will guarantee that you will get accepted. The more colleges you apply, the better chance you will get in the college of your choice. This is also the time to think about your career and what you want to build your future on. Your generation is growing up with technology so you are familiar with computer, Internet etc. This is the Information Technology age so anything to do with technology is a good choice. Remember that this is your future and only you can make the decision. This is your life and your choice but you must be realistic too. There are many good fields of study but you must select wisely so think carefully with both your head and your heart. Remember that you have responsibility to your parents and grandparents so you need to make them proud. You also have responsibilities to your society and your country because you are the future. The time you spend in college is time spent building your future and your country's future. It is important for you to build your career and shape your future by being prepared today. Every journey begins with the first step so start your first step now.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
