I had the tremendous good fortune to speak with Louis E. Newman, the author of Thinking Critically in College: The Essential Handbook for Student Success. Louis is the former dean of academic advising at Stanford and a former professor at Carleton College, so he has decades of experience in helping students succeed in college– not just in the classroom.
Louis shared strategies and tactics that students can use to ease the transition to college, from getting involved and making friends to understanding college-level academics to building relationships with faculty. Among other things, we discussed:
- How to approach choosing a college and a major
- How and why to go to office hours
- How to build the academic and intellectual skills that will help you thrive as a college student
- How to engage on campus
And so much more! As Louis says, “Think of your education as a passport, not a plane ticket.”
If you have a soon-to-be college student, you absolutely must listen to our conversation, which is here.