If you're new to this blog, welcome! This page will help you find what you're looking for.
My College Advice balances practical tips and ideas (like study tips, internship advice, and thoughts on finding the right college) with more personal stories (like my experience learning Spanish, my difficult time networking and fitting in during my time studying in Belfast, or my incredible experience creating my own internship with the help of a mentor).
College life includes a spectrum from learning to grocery shop to launching a career. That's a lot to think about.
Here are some categories to help you get started:
Featured Posts for High School Students
These are some of the newest and most popular posts written for high school students, or with a subject directly related to preparing for college. This is a great place to get started! (Use right and left arrows to scroll through this collection). If you have questions, please contact me at katie@mycollegeadvice.org or on twitter at @kdcollegeadvice
Sociology is all about understanding human interactions and social institutions, and examining why they work the way they do (and how to change them). It's one of the major branches of social sciences, and is a popular option with students (like me) who want to understand inequality and (hopefully) work for positive change.
I chose sociology through a combination of investigation and gut feelings. Overall, I'm pretty happy with my choice. Here's why.
Choosing a college is an incredibly exciting and (often) stressful process. For high-flying high school students, private schools and liberal arts colleges often seem like the logical choice. However, an Honors College at a large public university can offer incredible opportunities and benefits for academics, social life, and broader opportunities.
I was a student at the University of Oregon's Honors College. Here's why that was a great fit for me (and why an Honors College could be a great fit for you, too).
Sometimes even the path to engineering isn't a straightforward one...
I was 16 when it came time to apply to Universities. Like most teenagers I had no idea what I wanted to do. People love having choices in life, but at that point I felt like the infinite possibilities was almost paralyzing. I felt overwhelmed by the choices and the different outcomes that each outcome presented. Trying to make the right decision in terms of career, my future family, and everything all felt like it was riding on which college I chose to go to. That was a lot of pressure on a single decision for my 16-year old self.
The low cost of tuition allows you, the student, to fulfill courses required for graduation while also taking classes to broaden your perspective, pursue your interests, and determine your future major. Many students arrive at expensive, four year institutions with the “undecided” block checked and spend a great deal of money trying to find their passion when they could have spent dramatically less had their search began at a community college.
One of the weird things about leaving home to go to college is that there’s an awful lot you have to learn and acclimatize to all at once. Not only do you have to adapt to a new style of teaching and learning, but you also are thrown into being in charge of maintaining your own life. I grew up doing chores, but my folks did a lot of looking after me. So I arrived at college knowing how to vacuum and wash dishes, but not how to do a myriad of other “grown up” things. I had to learn on the fly… and with varying degrees of success.
This advice for crafting a college essay comes from a high school language arts teacher, who speaks from many years of helping high school students prepare for college. As you write your college application personal essay, keep this question in mind: Are you able to get beyond voiceless reporting to an engaging description which makes use of various stylistic devices so as to persuade?
Graduation can be a bit of a jolt. Suddenly you’re not a high school student anymore, and you’re not a college student yet. You’ve just accomplished one of life’s big milestones, and you have the next on the horizon. It’s the short-term future that’s tricky: it’s filling these next few months.
This list of the five books you should read before college builds on two previous lists: one from me and another list by former philosophy major and frequent contributor to My College Advice, Miles Raymer. Professor X has more than 20 years of science teaching experience at the University of Oregon, and has previously written contributed an article entitled "The Transition From High School to College" on this site. Enjoy!
The transition from high school to college is certainly different now than it was 20-30 years ago and thus represents an evolutionary process. While the high school experience has probably not changed much in the last 100 years, the college experience is now different in new and fundamental ways, and most incoming freshmen are unprepared to deal with this new way of life and new mode of educational performance. By far the biggest of the transitions is the realization that now you, the college freshmen, are suddenly personally responsible for your own successes and failures.
By visiting college classes you can get a feel for what “normal” might look like in college, and then start getting a sense of how things are in specific institutions.
This decision really could be the most important one you have ever made. That being said, I am also of the opinion that most people can thrive at a whole range of colleges. I think you can happily settle into many different environments, pick from a variety of majors, and develop an active and satisfying undergraduate college experience.
I’ve been traveling the world for 27 years....with no permanent home and hardly any possessions. I’ve lived in dirt huts in the jungle of New Guinea and in a royal palace on the island of Bali.
Worried about being prepared for college? I was. In fact, I wrote an email to a professor during the summer before my freshman year, requesting a list of books to be read before I showed up for the first day of class.
This is my list of suggested readings for incoming college students, regardless of their major or interests. This represents a well-rounded and ambitious list...
A gap year, if taken seriously and strategically, could lead to a much better college experience in both intangible and practical ways. The time might leave you feeling more adventurous, confident, and prepared, while also providing a way to stand out from your peers in college. When applying for scholarships, internships, or jobs, this gap year could be an important part of an overall narrative that adds depth and difference to your resume and skills.
One of the most beautiful things about going to school in a rural area is the strong connections that form between students, faculty, and staff members. Stellar academic work and students actively involved in extracurriculars really do get noticed. The purpose of college is to challenge yourself and grow. The faculty and staff get that, and can serve as a solid support system if you are willing to reach out.
I credit my AP History and Literature classes not only with my current employment, but also with the successful completion of my undergraduate and master’s theses; several internships; my ability to multi-task while in college; my growing success in fiction writing; and the creation of this blog.
College-level classes will help you prepare for what you’ll be expected to learn once you arrive on campus. And the credits you earn before you arrive on campus will increase your freedom in coursework, flexibility in travel, and your overall opportunity to take advantage of the full breadth of the college experiences available to you.
For me, life in a dorm room was a mixture of the crowded bliss of summer camp and the tension-filled hostility of a sibling relationship (but with none of the love to balance things out). I made the best friends of my college years because of proximity in the dorms. It sometimes used to take over half an hour to get down the hall to brush my teeth because of all the people I stopped to talk with on the way. I loved it.
But I did not get along with my roommate.
I chose my school through an intricate combination of whimsy and research. I did the campus visits, I wrote to a couple of professors, and I read through reams information. But the biggest factor in the selection process was that I went with my gut. I can’t explain why exactly. But here’s a huge piece of my decision that drove my father absolutely nuts:
I refused to go to the Midwest.
Featured Posts on Study Tips
This is a collection of the best study tips on my blog---everything from best writing practices to thesis writing tips to working collaboratively with a study buddy. Although most of these blog posts are directed at a college-level audience, many also apply to high school students. (Scroll through this collection with the right and left arrows below)
You need information. You find the information on Wikipedia. You do it when you are curious about some small idea in the middle of the night, when you are trying to win an argument, etc. It’s the first stop for all answers to things we don’t know.
But you really can’t cite Wikipedia.
At least, if you have an assignment that requires four authoritative sources, Wikipedia isn’t one of them. You are a college student. Here’s why… and the final reason I give is the same as every other teacher/professor: “because I said so.”
Good notes can make or break your finals prep and essay writing. In today's guest post, Miles shares his excellent multi-tiered system for taking notes on books--starting with writing in the margins, then moving on to dictating thoughts and copying out passages.
I'm really impressed and inspired by the idea, and hope to integrate it into my reading as well!
Jenna was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome during her sophomore year in high school. She struggled with energy, concentration, and being perceived as 'lazy' instead of sick. She shares her experience finishing high school and going on to school at Rutgers, and the study and health strategies she developed to eventually own her student experience and take control of her health.
Korrin Bishop launched her post-graduate life from the network and experience gained through writing an undergraduate thesis. She shares her thesis writing advice, as well as her perspective on leveraging research into 'real world' publication and opportunities.
This is a fabulous post for all those out there who have a thesis looming on the horizon and are wondering how to make it happen an if it really matters. Here's how to do it, and why it's worth the work.
It's easy to get overwhelmed by assigned readings for college classes, and to feel like you'll never remember all of it anyway... so why bother?
Detailed note taking can save enormous amounts of work later on. If you know an assigned book in depth, and can quickly find quotes to support your ideas or arguments, you will be well on your way to having a useful source document both for your current class and for future assignments.
This is my process for taking notes in assigned books. It's made a huge difference in my studies, and I bet it works for you too!
It’s finals season. It’s stressful. Students are stressed about essays and exams and grades and all the studying they’ve put off for the semester. This makes it a good moment to write about something I’ve had on my mind for a long while now—something that has probably crossed the radar of most students and has hopefully never been utilized by readers here. I have a bit of a rant for you today—essay writing services.
Do not use them. Ever.
Write your own essays.
Co-writing, if done right, means that both parties play to their strengths and ultimately do less work. It's also something that is a common exercise in the non-academic "real world." Most group projects in school do not resemble a work setting in the slightest—you will rarely be called upon to join a group of four colleagues in presenting on something you know very little about. However, you will often have to turn in a final product, written or otherwise, resulting from collaboration and compromise. In fact, many jobs rely almost completely on this model.
An undergraduate thesis is the culmination of a college experience, and if you have the opportunity (or obligation) to write one, you will probably approach it with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. It is your chance to write something that is almost entirely self-directed: it will bring together the information and skills that you have learned thus far on your academic journey and set you free to pursue a specific research topic of your choice.
To do this kind of work, we have to be able to look after ourselves and our emotions. Every person will have a different way of coping, and a different set of triggers, challenges, and specific responses to what they learn. This is far from an exhaustive list, but it’s a starting place: how to cope with doing depressing research as an academic.
A fast draft means you have a starting place. You get the main points down on paper. And even for longer projects, this process of writing a fast draft will help push the whole process along.
Even if you’ve been asked to give corrections, remember your friend's delicate emotions. Critique in a spirit of encouragement and giving. If you’re not mindful of this, you risk the writer thinking that you’re being hypercritical instead of helpful. Be gentle, particularly with first-time editing.
Choose a peer editor who is intellectually invested and capable of providing useful feedback relevant to your writing topic. Find someone with knowledge and writing skills equal or superior to your own...
As much as possible, consider your thesis defense an opportunity.
The exact process and requirements for theses vary from school to school. But here’s some basic advice that will mostly likely help anyone prepare...
Each person’s thesis experience is unique, and depends on their area of focus and the style of their research. A lab-based chemistry thesis project will look vastly different than a thesis based on the translation of a body of foreign-language poetry. While the details, methodology, and timeline are unique to the individual, however, there are some broad steps that have to happen in the process, and that’s what I outline here.
The five-paragraph essay is the foundational structure for all academic writing in the US tradition. I learned this structure in high school, but didn’t appreciate it until well into college, when I was using the same approach to tackle 20+ page essays. It’s simple, effective, and makes the point you’re trying to convey.
I struggled mightily to learn Spanish. I truly believe that it’s a worthwhile effort for everyone. I think that everyone can honestly benefit from learning to communicate in a second language, and that the world opens up in a new way once you can manage it.
But language learning, for most of us, is a long and difficult slog.
Coursework in college demands an enormous amount of reading. Almost regardless of your major, you will be expected to read and comprehend substantial piles of information, articles, books, essays, reports, research, interviews, and novels. There were times when my reading load seemed completely impossible—sometimes hundreds of pages of complicated reading assigned per class, per week.
You can’t do it all. But you can make it seem like you did.
Working with a study buddy revolutionized my ability to get things done in college. There’s an element of collaboration which is helpful, and also the social pressure to actually get work done, since your friend is there and also working away. When working with a friend I am more inspired and more creative, less grumpy or put-upon, and more willing to just put my head down and work away, since I know a break was coming.
Here are some basic essay preparation tips, brought to you by lo, these many years of liberal arts education.
Tip No. 1: Read the Sullabus
Featured Posts on Campus Life
Explore here to learn more about campus and college life. Building a community, finding activities you're passionate about, building experience with internships and volunteering--this is the place to start! If you have questions, or want to know more about a topic, please get in touch! You can email me at katie@mycollegeadvice.org, or ask on twitter at @kdcollegeadvice
Jenna was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome during her sophomore year in high school. She struggled with energy, concentration, and being perceived as 'lazy' instead of sick. She shares her experience finishing high school and going on to school at Rutgers, and the study and health strategies she developed to eventually own her student experience and take control of her health.
It is easy to take things for granted—to forget to question why we make the plans we do, or why we interact with the world in certain ways. Sometimes we are so busy chasing a goal (graduation, a job, a plan, etc.) that we forget to pause for a moment and ask ourselves very real and foundational questions. For example:
WHAT IS COLLEGE FOR?
Go to college, get good grades, get a good job. That’s the advice told to university students everywhere. The part that comes along as a given, but is often taken for granted is: make long-lasting friendships with people who you would want to know and talk with for the rest of your life.
I got an education in electrical engineering and applied mathematics. I have had internships at multiple companies, and I have studied abroad. All of these components and more are why I know that I had a good college experience.
However, I don't think really I knew what my experience at North Carolina A&T State University truly meant to me until the summer of 2013...
Choosing a college is an incredibly exciting and (often) stressful process. For high-flying high school students, private schools and liberal arts colleges often seem like the logical choice. However, an Honors College at a large public university can offer incredible opportunities and benefits for academics, social life, and broader opportunities.
I was a student at the University of Oregon's Honors College. Here's why that was a great fit for me (and why an Honors College could be a great fit for you, too).
Most of us have felt that sinking discomfort from time to time: I’m not in the right place. This isn’t the right fit. What am I doing here?
For many college students, this is a cyclical question that comes and goes with the expected flow of the academic years and progress toward fulfilling a major. This can be particularly significant during sophomore year, when you’ve finished the “honeymoon” phase of your four years and you understand enough about your college life to really start to question it. Like the infamous “Freshman 15,” the “Sophomore Slump” is well known for a reason: it is a common occurrence and can have a major impact. For most, it is a phase to get through. For some, it leads to transferring to another school or to dropping out of college entirely.
I want to share a couple of my own stories about feeling like I had to move on, and what I decided to do about it.
At every stage in the college journey, there is a plethora of shifting logistical and practical questions. Early college questions (How do I register for classes? How do I use the gym? How do I use the online homework website?) give way to mid-college questions (How do I prepare to go abroad? How do I decide if this is the right major for me? How do I move off-campus and deal with all the accompanying real-life logistics?) and finally to the questions that plague soon-to-be graduates (How do I turn in my thesis? How do I get transcripts? How am I going to make it in the real world…)
I always love it when I get the opportunity to feature writing from people whose student experiences are very different from mine. Danny Conway is a student from Columbus, OH who is currently studying chemistry at the University of Melbourne. Although he characterizes himself as an "average" American, I would argue that the decision to pursue a full undergraduate education abroad is anything but "average." I hope you enjoy!
The start of a school year is a critical time to discuss sexual violence prevention and appropriate response. The starting point is to remind ourselves that Sexual Violence can be prevented. It is made possible by inequities and unhealthy power dynamics in our culture. Those who perpetrate it are responsible for their actions, but we are all responsible to creating a world without sexual violence.
One of the hardest things about living with someone new is realizing that everyone is truly different. It’s like going abroad in some ways—things you’ve always taken for granted about how “everyone is” turns out to not be as universal as you thought…and this can easily drive you absolutely crazy when confined to a tiny shared bedroom.
College is all about figuring out who you are and what you want to do. That’s a big deal, and while classes are an important part of the college experience, I would argue that taking advantage of the opportunities to get involved on campus is equally important. To back up this argument, I’ve created a list to help back up why student activities and branching out of your comfort zone are both a valuable part of the college experience...
One of the weird things about leaving home to go to college is that there’s an awful lot you have to learn and acclimatize to all at once. Not only do you have to adapt to a new style of teaching and learning, but you also are thrown into being in charge of maintaining your own life. I grew up doing chores, but my folks did a lot of looking after me. So I arrived at college knowing how to vacuum and wash dishes, but not how to do a myriad of other “grown up” things. I had to learn on the fly… and with varying degrees of success.
What is it like to attend a big sports college when you don't like sports? Or when you actively dislike all things sports-related? Sports culture was something I was worried about before I started college. I have never been a fan of team sports, and am 100% disinterested in being a spectator for any and all sporting events...
I learned many lessons playing for a club team in college. The first and most important of these was the great amount of energy and commitment it takes to sublimate personal desires into a shared community goal. I wanted to be the best. But instead of learning that I could achieve this if I just worked hard enough, I learned my limitations.
The transition from high school to college is certainly different now than it was 20-30 years ago and thus represents an evolutionary process. While the high school experience has probably not changed much in the last 100 years, the college experience is now different in new and fundamental ways, and most incoming freshmen are unprepared to deal with this new way of life and new mode of educational performance. By far the biggest of the transitions is the realization that now you, the college freshmen, are suddenly personally responsible for your own successes and failures.
If you’re dorming or living off-campus away from your parents, there will be plenty to consider before you even step foot in the classroom. Where will you live? Will you need roommates? And finally, what will you bring?
We can take inspiration from witnessing the methods employed by the greats. Hence the mysterious title, the nun and the rockstar. Stick with me.
It’s important to develop ways of coping when you’re down. I suppose each method will be unique to the individual, the situation, and the options available. But here’s a quick list of some of the coping methods I’ve used over the years… I hope they might be helpful to anyone out there who’s stuck in the doldrums, as I have been.
TV will not help you with your studies.
It will not build a network.
It will not provide those once-in-a-lifetime stories college years should provide.
All that being said, I still believe that college students should watch TV.
I spent hundreds of hours in the Oregon State Penitentiary, first as a student, then as a teacher’s assistant and program coordinator. But that first day, on entering the prison, that Dostoevsky quote was certainly on my mind. What did this massive building say about our society? And how would I fit into the smaller microcosm of the classroom?
I would encourage all college students to think broadly about their job options at college. Consider what interesting things you might witness on the catering team for your university events company. Think boldly about how your skills might apply in various departments on campus—research, IT, writing, organizing, networking, etc. Be careful, of course, to maintain your focus on your academic goals. But get out there and find out just how broad your opportunities are.
It is both cliché and generally accurate to assume that most college students don’t have much money lying around. This can be a serious limitation during your college years (and, with student debt, possibly a debilitating factor later), but it can also be a hidden opportunity.
If you learn to live on less for your daily expenses, then while you’re in college and for the rest of your life you’ll be able to prioritize the things that are actually important to you.. You choose your own priorities.
A Note about My College Advice
I do my best to cover all college-related topics, the good, the bad, and the difficult to deal with. For those subjects beyond my personal experience or expertise, I invite guest posts from people I know or people who have particular expertise on the subject. One of the most important things to remember in relation to college is that all experiences are unique to each student. While it is a time of enormous opportunity, it can also be a time that brings incredible challenges and obstacles. In fact, I would say those are probably inevitable.
I started this blog because there was so much I wanted to know when I started my college career. I wanted something beyond study tips and career statistics infographics: I wanted personal stories and a real sense of what to expect and how my life was about to change. I wanted to find out how students managed to go abroad, and what they learned there. I wanted to find out if I would be lonely, if I could keep up with the reading, and how I was supposed to feed myself after a lifetime of being looked after by my parents.
I learned all this stuff by living it. I traveled, I studied, I researched, I cooked, I found roommates, I made amazing friends. I learned who and how I wanted to be. Everyone has to go out and live college to figure out how to do it. But learning from the experiences of others helps as well. That's what I'm trying to do here.
If there's something you want me to cover that I haven't yet, please let me know! You can email me at katie@mycollegeadvice.org, or you can find me on twitter at @kdcollegeadvice. You can also fill out the form below, and I'll do my best to find you an answer.
Thanks so much!
A couple of quick notes
This blog is mainly written for students attending universities in the United States. However, the ideas should apply more broadly around the world. I would be interested to get feedback from non-US readers.
My college experiences led to considerable ideological changes in my life. I'll inevitably be writing about some politically charged ideas, simply because of who I am and what I've experienced. I hope that any readers who disagree with my ideas can see some topics as universal, even if we might differ in political leanings.
What I'm sharing here is my opinion, and my original content. Like everything out there, I borrow ideas and stories from the world around me. I make every effort to give credit where it's due--if you are concerned about any content please contact me at katie@mycollegeadvice.org
A note on the photos: all photos used on this site are taken by me unless captioned otherwise, and I have sought out permission from anyone pictured.
Choosing a college is a momentous decision: one that will have an enormous impact on where you’ll be and what you’ll do for the next four years of your life. It feels like it should be entirely personal, like the only one really impacted by your decision is you.
Of course, if your parents are helping you pay for school, they (quite accurately) feel like they have a considerable stake in the decision as well.
Here are some strategies for managing the college search profess in a way that will make everything far smoother, less conflict-prone, and more comfortable for everyone involved.