better > faster.

Whenever I talk to students about developing positive work habits, I am always sure to mention that they shouldn’t write a paper the night before it is due. I do this for two reasons. the first, obviously, is that it is an easy way to get a better grade. Very few people do their best work the first time around, so giving yourself the time to look over an assignment before you hand it in will let you catch the mistakes that an instructor could (and usually would) mark off points for. Everyone makes careless mistakes, so checking over work is essential to boosting the all-important GPA.

The second, slightly more mischievous, reason that I mention this idea is so that I can address the myth that people work better under pressure. I hear that all the time (especially in the context of these discussions) and it simply is not true. At least, not entirely. It is true that sometimes pressure is our friend, and we need that extra adrenaline to get it going, but just because you’re working doesn’t mean you’re working well. Let that marinate for a second: just because you’re working doesn’t mean you’re working well. All that means is that you will have something to turn in, but will it be your best? doubt it.

At some stages in the academic game, it might be okay to not hand in your best. At points in my education (especially high school), I would do what I knew was expected of me (but less than what I was capable of) and still get As. I knew it wasn’t my best, but since I was still getting good grades I didn’t see the point of putting in the extra effort. But then I went to college and realized how difficult it was to click into that extra gear, to put in that extra effort. Since doing my best wasn’t a habit, I wasn’t prepared for the tougher assignments and increased expectations of higher education.

The moral of the story is that if I got used to doing my best when it wasn’t necessary, it would have been easier to do it when it was. I learned too late that the best time to develop positive habits is when you don’t need them.

This story may seem tangental to the idea that you don’t work better under pressure, but it’s not. (I promise!) Waiting until the last minute doesn’t allow you the time to do your best work. A 5 page paper written the might before it is due is just a rough draft of what you should actually be turning in. (Be honest, it totally is.) Getting in the habit of doing an assignment even 2 days before will help you out tremendously in both the short and long terms of your life. It will help you get better grades now and work better in the future. It may be a tough one at first, but believe me when I say that quick doesn’t (always, or even usually) mean quality.

managing 1st impressions

When I got my first cell phone, I thought I was being super cool by having an expletive-laden rap song as my voicemail message… that is until my mom called the phone, heard the message, and made me change it “A-S-A-P”. At the time I thought my mom freaked out because she personally hated rap music. And, while that probably had something to do with it, I think she was thinking more along the lines of, “What would other people think if they heard this?”

I thought about this today as I was making phone calls to some of my high school students. While listening to their ‘personalized’ VMs, the phrase “are you kidding me” came to mind about a dozen times. The ring-back songs were one thing, but the ‘leave a message and I might call you back’ or the ‘I don’t answer when I don’t feel like it’ messages got me thinking about how I might feel if I didn’t already know these students… or how I might judge these students if I were, say, an admissions officer or an employer who was calling.

Email addresses should follow these same codes of decency. FYI: email is the primary mode of communication between applicants and a college’s admissions office. Until you are accepted and receive a .edu address, your personal email address will be used. And, since most schools prefer that applicants apply online (and sometimes waive the application fee if you do this by a certain time), it is a good idea to create an email address specifically for your applications that is simple and professional. Firstname.lastname@whatever.com is perfectly fine, and since registering an email address is free through services like Gmail and Yahoo, it shouldn’t be a problem to do this. Sending out applications with sexichik4u2luv4evrxoxo69@whatever.com as the ‘reply-to’ address may not make a great first impression on an admissions officer who reads hundreds of applications per day.

By no means am I trying to say that you should completely depersonalize your VMs and email addresses, but keep in mind the image of yourself that you are putting out there. For people who don’t know you, it could be very off-putting to hear that their phone call may not be returned because you might not feel like returning it, or to receive an email from someone with a name that you may find a little offensive. Just know that people will make value judgments about you based on these snippets of information. It sucks and it’s wrong, but that’s the world way it works. Don’t sabotage yourself (or your future) on something so easy to avoid.

food. fat. fun.

Q: “I’m about to go to college and I’m getting anxious. What’s food like at college? Is the myth that you’ll gain weight your first year true? What about the social scene, will there really be parties every night?”

A: Oh no! I can feel your anxiety oozing through the computer, so before I even begin to answer your questions I have one important piece of advice: RELAX!! Breathe in, count to ten, and let it out. Pinky swear it’ll be okay. As for your questions…

food. It’s good to remember that college food varies from campus to campus and from eatery to eatery on campus. In my experience, the main cafeteria has the stereotypical bland, tasteless, prison-type food that college is known for, while the random eateries (that may or may not be part of your meal plan) sell the tastier goodies. It’s a good idea to spend the first month or so of school figuring out where you can go to get what you want. Don’t completely discount the cafe, however, since it provides a great socializing opportunity.

fat. While the “freshman 15″ might be a bit of an exaggeration (either under or over), expect to gain a bit of weight when you go to college. Contrary to popular belief, all of the weight isn’t due to the fact that you’re out of your parents’ house and have free reign of the junky stuff. Part of it can be blamed on the overall adjustment to a new environment and the stress involved with the transition. The human body reacts to these changes in different ways (weight, acne, mood swings, etc.), so be prepared for the physical and psychological effects of freshman year. If the weight really bothers you, just rethink your diet and start working out. Exercise is a great way to both get fit and relieve some stress.

fun. The college social scene is definitely what you make of it. I mean, there can be parties every night if you link up with that set, but if that’s not your thing then that’s cool, too. As a freshman (and depending on where you are) the bar scene might be a little hard to crack, but random chill sessions in the dorms are always available. Orientation will have plenty of opportunities for socializing, but keep in mind that it’ll be different once classes start. ‘Work hard, play hard’ is a great motto to have if you actually put in the work.

Going to college for the first time can cause a series of minor freak-outs, but it’s completely normal. Remember that 1) it’s not as bad as you think and 2) it’s totally worth it. So just relax and have fun. Four years goes by fast, so make the most of it!