When I was coming into college, I obviously expected to be told to join student organizations. I planned to prioritize eating healthy, and taking breaks while studying to prevent burnout. However, when taking a break in the Honors College reading room one day, I learned what would be considered contrary advice by many incoming college students. By focusing on less conventional tips, the book aimed to provide students with a more well-rounded, authentic college experience.
In the reading room, there was a book by Cal Newport titled “How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students.” Curiosity got the best of me, so I flipped through the book’s dusty pages and found many shocking tips. These included advice such as:
- Don’t do all of your readings
- Avoid daily to-do lists
- Never nap
- Don’t network
- Make friends your #1 priority
When reading these tips, I couldn’t help but laugh. They all seemed so opposite to everything I had been told by my educators leading up to that point. I found the fact that this book was in the Honors College reading room equally ironic. If an honors college is supposed to aim for academic excellence, why did this book go against so much of what I was taught?
Upon further investigation, I learned that these tips have deeper meanings. In saying, “don’t do all of your reading,” the author meant that you should prioritize tasks and skim main points ahead of lectures. “Avoid daily to-do lists” is advice meant to leave room for flexibility, as some tasks will take much longer than you might expect. “Never nap” is a tactic to focus on less demanding tasks, instead of sleeping off burnout. That way, you’re not messing up your sleep schedule or your productivity.
Social tips such as, “don’t network,” are meant to encourage you to build connections with professionals, rather than simply making an introduction. This can help build a relationship that lasts from college to when you’re in an industry. These types of connections have a higher payoff in the long run. In addition to professional connections, “make friends your #1 priority” means that you shouldn’t let your schedule come between you and your friendships.
Finally, another piece of advice I learned from this reading was to learn to give up. This means learning to make accommodations for yourself when struggling with an assignment. It’s also important to adjust your priorities and schedule when you feel too busy to function.
These are the tips that I think should be taught to students before they enter college. In addition to telling students to eat healthy, get involved and create study rituals, people should also be told to relax. If you don’t understand a topic, it’s not the end of the world. If you need a break from homework, go hang out with friends. College is for education, but it is also for building life skills and creating memories.
To everyone reading: give yourself some wiggle room. It’s okay to give up on the idea of being the “perfect” student, as long as you are still doing your best and putting in effort.
