I am in 10th grade and what do I do to get into MIT

Hi, 10th Graders,

I am sure none of the answers that you have seen make sense to you or you already know because there’s no shortage of people telling you to get a perfect SAT, compete in D1 sport, or do something extraordinary including donating tons of money to MIT.

As I am writing this, I am furious that all college advice has been lists of achievements that seem to be impossible to reach.

They are true but not practical so don’t let them crush your MIT spirit.

First of all, MIT welcomes all kinds of students and they are looking for you. However, there are so many YOUs who want to get into MIT and you have to show them why you NEED MIT the most (read their website and learn about the programs offered in MIT).

It’s about the FIT between you and MIT, the more you can show them that your conviction to contribute to solving a problem in our society.

Pay attention!

This is not a hard question to answer but you need to create “evidence” (that also means do something with your time) to show.

So, where do you start?

Before I go into the detail, remember this:

If a college doesn’t think that they can help you to elevate your future after graduation (assuming you can articulate it), they will not offer you admission.

So you need to not only show them that you are academically ready (GPA/SAT/APs) also motivationally ready (have an idea of what you want to do and how will the college help you).

5 ways to explore your career interests in high school:

1. What you do in your spare time: what exactly do you enjoy doing? Is there a particular activity that you find yourself interested in and invested in, even if at times it takes a lot of effort? This may guide you to your career or occupation. For example, maybe you like writing about certain topics (economics, the environment, social justice). You might look into becoming a journalist or working in public relations.

2. What you read: Do you like to read certain types of books?

Books about traveling? Then perhaps you should look into becoming a tour guide. If it’s historical novels you are interested in, maybe writing history books is your calling.

3. Where you look for information: do you prefer to learn about information online or are you more comfortable with books? If it’s the Internet, then you might be interested in computer programming or engineering. Maybe business interests you.

4. What people tell you: Listen carefully to what other people tell you. Your parents, teachers, friends, and co-workers might provide good advice about a particular career or occupation that interests you.

5. Your dreams: If asked to write down your five greatest dreams in life, what would they be? Think of this list as a filter through which you can look at what you most enjoy. Once you figure out what your dreams are, try to match them up with a career or occupation.

5 ways to involve in a community (or two) where you find people with the same interests as yours:

1. Your current school clubs or teams: You can join a club or team that encourages you to participate in an activity that you enjoy. If there isn’t one, then why not create your own? For example, if you enjoy writing poetry and short stories, perhaps starting a reading club is for you!

2. Sports or recreation you can do on your own: Think about what sports and activities you enjoy doing on your own. Are there any that require a high level of discipline or training? If so, then these may line up with some skills that could lead to the career or occupation you are interested in pursuing.

3. A part-time job: You can spend time collecting different kinds of job experiences and skills that can influence your career or occupation. This will help you to find out if the activity is something you really enjoy and want to keep doing.

4. Community service: Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community, try out different kinds of activities, and learn about new places that interest you.

5. A summer job: If you’re lucky enough to get a summer job, it can be a great way to earn some income and practice your skills in the career or occupation that interests you.

OK. You are probably thinking … “What if…(whatever you are thinking).” Shut that voice off and focus on getting involved and how to contribute.

No, you need to earn it so work hard for some time. And, yes, you are valuable as long as you work.

I wish you the best and hope you find your aspiration to achieve everything on the list. Besides, Ivy League is overrated and the journey is so much more interesting.

If you are to explore different options, you can do a college search.

GPA for UCLA. Let’s Talk about it.

GPA — One number that encompasses who knows what; one number that schools and parents obsess so much; one number that determines your chance to enter a prestigious college like UCLA.

https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses-majors/ucla/freshman-admission-profile.html

I struggled to raise my GPA because I did not know how did it even work. For example, did you know that an A earns you 4 GPA points and a B earns you 3 points? And did you know if the course is not credited, it doesn’t count as part of your GPA? Did you know if you simply add all your points and divide them by the total number of credited courses, you get your GPA?

I did not know the rules, and I couldn’t figure out a strategy to raise my GPA.

In this post, I would like to explore the following questions:

What does GPA represent?
How is it calculated?
How to increase your GPA?
Why care about GPA?

Grade Point Average represents the average academic performance of a particular period of time.

My junior GPA is 3.6.
My first-year GPA is 2.8.

It makes sense that schools and parents obsess with your GPA. That is an important indicator that if you are doing well in school and, maybe, just maybe, you will do well in life.

And that’s all I want to say about GPA for the extrinsic reason. What does GPA represent to a student like you?

I coach students and help them to overcome academic difficulties. They hate to look at their GPAs, and they hate when people judge them by their GPAs. I told them, people don’t judge you based on your GPA. People judged you before your GPA, and GPA results from that judgment on your academic performance. If you do not have a good GPA, it’s not 100% your fault but mainly your fault. Ask yourself these questions:

Have you asked your teacher how to fix your GPA?
Have you asked around and ask people how they raise their GPA?
Have you spent enough time and do your due diligence as an active learning member in each class?
Did you pick a class that you are not interested in or too challenging?
When you see a “D” on your assignment, do you talk to someone to seek improvement before the next assignment?

An athlete who spends time training might not be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) but will certainly not perform poorly. Your GPA represents your ability to manage your role as a student in an environment where learning progress is being graded.

Nothing more.

GPA is calculated based on two numbers: Total GPA Points and Total GPA Hours/Credits

GPA point in a class= class grade point (A=4; B=3; C=2; D=1; F=0) multiply number of units for that class

*If you are in high school, then every class is just 1 unit.

Total GPA Points = sum of all GPA points from all course taken with a letter grade

Total GPA Units = sum of all the units that contribute to your total GPA points

GPA = GPA Points/GPA Units

Let’s raise that GPA mathematically.

A college student has a cumulative 3.4 GPA and would like to raise it to a 3.6 within a year.

Assuming he has earned 60 units — the total GPA points are 3.4 x 60 = 204, and he can earn 32 units a year this year.

Thus,

Current GPA = 204/60=3.4
Prospecting GPA = (204 + ?)/(60+32)>3.6 → (204+?)>331.2 → ?>127.2

So, if he is taking 32 units in the next year, try to get an average GPA of 3.975 or higher to raise your GPA to 3.6.

A high school student has a 3.4 GPA in Sophmore and wants to obtain a 3.6 GPA in Junior.

He has a 3.4 GPA in Sophmore that encompasses two As and three Bs.

To get a higher GPA, like 3.6 GPA, he needs to work harder on one of the three classes and boost that one B grade to an A grade.

But remember, GPA simply measures your academic performance.

Let’s raise that GPA strategically and behaviorally, or here are some actions to take and raise your GPA.

3 Best Practices

On Sunday, review last week’s progress and seek improvement and make mental notes on how to do better next week. Use the table below to do 3 weeks of checkups before you get into a habit.

Week 1	Are you satisfied with your performance last week? 1-10 What can you improve next week?
Week 2	Are you satisfied with your performance last week? 1-10 What can you improve next week?
Week 3	Are you satisfied with your performance last week? 1-10 What can you improve next week?

At the same time, preview next week’s class agenda and upcoming assignments and exams. Schedule your time to work on the upcoming classwork on your calendar.

Week 1	What are the upcoming assignments? How much time do you need for each assignment? When will you have time to do it? What are the upcoming exams? How much time do you need to prepare for each exam? When will you have time to do it? Mark those schedules on your calendar immediately.
Week 2	What are the upcoming assignments? How much time do you need for each assignment? When will you have time to do it? What are the upcoming exams? How much time do you need to prepare for each exam? When will you have time to do it? Mark those schedules on your calendar immediately.
Week 3	What are the upcoming assignments? How much time do you need for each assignment? When will you have time to do it? What are the upcoming exams? How much time do you need to prepare for each exam? When will you have time to do it? Mark those schedules on your calendar immediately.

Take notes in every class. Think that note-taking in class is a requirement, not an option. The amount and detail of the notes almost don’t matter. Just write something. Suppose you want to be more effective in note-taking. Check out Smart Note-Taking Tip Sheet.

When you see any assignments on a syllabus, you should start planning ahead immediately. Ask yourself:

Is there a sample work I can see?
Is there a rubric for the assignment?
What are the professor’s expectations?
Is there any obstacle? Where do I get help if I need to?
When to start? Where to start?

Use the mighty Google Doc to compile your class materials, notes, quizzes, and practice test in one place. Create a study guide before you start to study and add more content as you study more and more. Your study guide will serve as the last-minute cram before your exam. Take every schoolwork as a project and the class learning before the due date as preparation.

For more, you may visit UC Berkeley’s Strategic Learning Program to gain more ideas.

Why care about GPA? The answer is that you do not care about your GPA. Care about academic effort and optimize study methods according to GPA’s up and down.

I hope that this post resolves the struggle of raising your GPA and you can finally enjoy learning and stop worrying.

College Search and Why you are doing it WRONG

I have a bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of California — Berkeley. Sequentially, I earned a master’s degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University. It took me a total of eight years and over $100,000 tuition, not including the living expense.

After graduation, it took me 2 more years to figure out what I want to do with the degrees.

Hysterical! I spent over $150,000 and 8 years on my education, and I couldn’t figure it out before graduating.

Why invest so much time and money in something you don’t understand.

I look back now and wish I could have done more research into the colleges that I was applying to and what I was gonna do with the degree.

It’s very hard for someone (you) who only has less than 18 years of life experience to plan their future 20 years, but it doesn’t hurt to think about it.

In this post, we are going to discuss:

Why is college search more important than your SAT score?
What is the right approach when it comes to college search?
How to start your college search?

“Is college search important to me? US News has ranked all the colleges. Isn’t the best one the №1?”

Yes, for US News, that’s №1. And they are №1 because they are most selective. That means they are the hardest to get in.

What is your №1? Do you want to go to the most selective college? What does high selectivity means to you? What is the difference between №1 and №2? If there is a difference, and №2 has the major, curriculum, club, faculty, and resource you need for your success. Do you still want to go to №1 the most?

Find your №1 because it’s the best fit and start from there. A best-fit college will give you the education that you need to prepare for the future you want.

Many students don’t think about this as much as I think they should. And I am speaking from my personal experience.

OK. What’s the big deal? Isn’t college experience supposed to be fun and exploratory?

If you have the genius in Steve Jobs, you don’t really need to go to college. Your curiosity and interest will lead you somewhere.

If you think college is still the safe way to go, most people chose that, and there’s nothing wrong with it.

But pick a major that will prepare you for success. Pick a school culture that develops you into the character you will be proud of. Pick a campus where you can experiment and develop your interests with the most cutting-edge facility and faculty. If you are going to invest up to $200,000 on a product, aka diploma or degree, shouldn’t you look more into your options?

First, take ownership of your education from now on. The degree serves you and your aspirations. If it doesn’t serve you, then don’t invest in it.

It means that education is impartial to your journey, but it is not the destination. It serves you, and you will make the most out of it. A proper college search will start right for your higher education journey.

Naive students assume the following, and they are wrong:

Higher-rank colleges are better. That also means their degrees worth more.
Private colleges are better than public colleges.
College education leads to a successful future.
A College degree gets me a good job.

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Here are the facts:

Higher-rank colleges are more selective and more competitive to enter, but that doesn’t mean they provide a better education than community colleges.
Public colleges are just as selective and competitive as private colleges. In fact, 40 of the top 100 ranked by US News are public colleges.
A college education does not lead to a successful future, but it helps significantly if you play your cards right.
A college degree helps you to get your first job; the rest is on you. Supposed you did not choose a useless major that has nothing to do with modern society.

Do your college search right, make the future bright.

Follow the following steps to up your game in the college search, and may those actions result in a new perspective of education.

Cover the Basics: Complete the Comparative College Requirement Worksheet. You can find all the information by search “[the college name] freshman profile.” For example, NYU Freshman Profile. This step helps you get a sense of the competition you are in to apply for the college.
Major and Its Curriculum: Read, yes, you hear me. READ! Every college website is a little different, but they should have the degree requirement or major curriculum that lists the courses you need to take to earn your degree—for example, Electrical Engineer at Caltech and Public Health at UC Berkeley. You shall have a pretty good understanding of what the degree is about and what you will learn if you apply. Try to think about how will each course and its knowledge help you moving forward with your career.
Faculty: Good professors make big differences in the college experience. You will encounter 30–50 professors throughout the 4 years. They are all experts in their fields, well-connected with their industries, and passionate and able to help young people succeed in life. Go to college websites and search for publication and faculty. For example, NYU Stern Business School has a showcase webpage on their research and facilities. I hope you find some professors that give you the excitement to go to their college because you will be able to learn from their lectures and have a chance to work on their projects.
Special Programs: If you have decided on your major, look for special programs to enrich your learning experience. For example, MIT has projects to understand how does ecology affects human health. If you can talk about projects or initiatives happening on a college campus and want to be part of it, the college and you can envision how you will contribute to the force when you are on their campus.
Alumni Linkedin Profile: Yes, this is a weird one. But, very important. Colleges will promise you a lot but don’t trust them and look at the results of their alumni. For example, visit UCLA Alumni on Linkedin, search for the majors you are interested in, and see where the alumni are now and what they are doing with their UCLA degrees. Ensure that the graduates from the school with the degree you want to pursue are doing what you want to do in the future.
Club and Social Life: Not so important, but it doesn’t hurt to look them up.
Career Opportunity: College students start looking for an internship in their sophomore year and hope to continue to intern until graduation. The internship experience is the stepping stone to a good and full-time job. That’s being said — you cannot go far for your internship. Can you imagine finding a fashion company in Midwest? No. You need to go to East Coast. Seek for the main industries and companies nearby the campus, so you have the opportunity and accessibility to the right industry that will prepare you for the job you want to do.
Lastly, School Mission and Greats: No college has the same mission, and its campus experience will center around its mission. Many are inspired by it and have done great in life. Below are some missions and the greats from those school

The role of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as the primary intellectual and cultural resource for the state is fulfilled through the three missions of the university: teaching, research, and service.
Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, one of most successful investors, went to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania to study business for two years before transferring to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Buffett graduated from the University of Nebraska at 19 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
Larry Page, Google Cofounder, holds a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering from the University of Michigan, with honors and a Master of Science in computer science from Stanford University.
Columbia University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions.
Barak Obama, 44th President of the United State, First African-American President and 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, transferred to Columbia University in New York City as a junior, where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and in English literature.

All in all — take ownership of your education. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Do your search properly, and your college life will be fulfilling, and your post-graduation life will be successful. You don’t need to go to college, but if you do and do your fucking research.

Can Admissions Tell If I lie?

By the question, I presume that you have something inauthentic.

In general, dishonesty will come back to haunt you one way or another. Reality is intricate. Dishonesty twists the reality, and reality will snap back the harder you twist the truth.

Anyway, I am not here to preach philosophy or life lessons.

They don’t need to check. It’s obvious.

As you grow up (the adult brain is more vigilant to lies too due to neurological development) and gain more experience on a specific subject, you will automatically develop the ability to detect lies and discrepancies in things.

That is no different for an experienced college admission officer who has read thousands of applications.

“Then I have nothing to write!”

That is probably bad news for students who do not have “accomplishments.”

The good news is that college admissions are not looking for any particular accomplishments. They look for students with strong drives and motivation to do something with their college campus resources. They also look for evidence if the applicants have already done everything they could within their environmental constraints.

For example, Student A from an affluent high school has 5 on 4 APs while other students from the same school pretty much do the same.

And, we have Student B from a local urban school that doesn’t offer a lot of APs, but she took college-level classes from community college because of her passion for chemistry, but her high school doesn’t have a good chem teacher.

Student B has a better student profile than Student A because Student B will do better in college than Student A.

I used academics because it’s easy to illustrate, but the same idea applies in different areas, such as extra-curricular activities, passion projects, or volunteer opportunities.

Look at your achievements (more like everything you have done in high school) and talk about how you are so driven to learn or pursue something that your environment doesn’t limit you.

Use your application to show actions you took and results from them.

Use the personal statement essay to show your thought processes and stories behind your actions.

Missing Assignments

I feel bad that you have a lot of missing assignments and your teachers and tutors are not being helpful.

If you feel overwhelmed and don’t know what to do, you are probably feeling the symptom of analysis paralysis that you subconsciously know you cannot finish but can’t admit because they kept telling you that you could so you are looking for tricks to do so.

The truth is – you won’t be able to finish all the assignments and that is OK.

However, there is a lesson to learn and we all face this kind of challenge once in a while.

I personally experience analysis paralysis on the weekly basis and writing down all the tasks on a paper in front of me helps me to consolidate my time and resources so I know what to do to create an optimal outcome of the situation (note that I said optimal, not ideal, because I already miss the moment which is last week).

Whenever you face a big challenge, it’s always helpful to break it down and dissect the challenge a bit.

Once this project (complete all missing assignments) is broken down you will be able to execute and do as many as you can.

Here is, especially, how to break down each assignment:

each row is an assignment
columns are attributes of an assignment

I will suggest you start with the ones with LOW Est. Time of Completion or FEWER Obstacles because you can do it yourself.

Once you build up the momentum you may move to more challenging assignments. However, as I said above, you probably won’t finish all of them but try anyway.

How to avoid this fiasco?

You should never have any missing assignments by the end of the week.

Doesn’t matter what types of students you are or do you care about school, you should at least do this – complete all assignments and readings by the end of the week.

You can procrastinate all you want within a week but never until the next week, and here’s why – every week is a cycle and if you miss an assignment last week you might as well just forget about it and move on to the next assignment that is coming up next week.

Over years of coaching students, doing missing assignments is a lost cause because it’s likely that the student doesn’t have the knowledge for the missing assignments and they end up COPYING answers online.

Additionally, you probably also have other assignments coming up, and the missing assignment snowballs to a point that giving up seems to be easier.

So if you are already having a hard time keeping up the CURRENT school learning, focus on that first and work on the missing assignments after you have caught up with the current learning materials.

Want more technical skills and resources to manage your study better? Check out the student resource from UC Berkeley and start with Techniques to Manage Procrastination

Is 3.5 GPA Good Enough to Get a Job?

High GPAs mean very little if you cannot perform as an engineer, educator, writer…whatever -er you want to bo

Don’t mistake that school grades do not fully translate to your potential job performance (just a little bit). Most employers really care very little if you have straight As.

At the end of your college, if you have no internships then GPA is all you have, yes you need that 4.0 GPA to land a job.

But most likely you still won’t, I am sorry. Because, again, 4.0 GPA (or 3.5 GPA) means very little to most employers.

Forget about the GPA and go find an internship.

A good GPA merely means to employers that you are a responsible person and know how to manage your time well and get things done

A good GPA + internship means to employers that you are a responsible person and you understand the value of work experience. You are willing to get your hands on a problem and apply what you learn from school.

A 4.0 GPA and no internship means to employers that you are very good at studying and scoring in class and very good at following instructions and meeting expectations.

I have helped hundreds of students to get over impostor syndrome. Here is the advice I give:

You are just as good as you can be and there’s a place for you. Identify what YOU WANT to do and apply. You won’t land a job until you have applied for a few hundred open positions and really understand what you need to land a job you want.
Don’t apply for jobs as you apply for college. They don’t need you to work for them but that doesn’t mean you don’t qualify for the job. It’s often because you didn’t present yourself in a way that the company needed and many college newly grads lack such skill.
Stop paying attention to the noises. No one talks about not getting a job, so what you hear all day is probably good news on social media. Head down, apply, and find out why you are not hired until you are.

My lesson learned:

When I was in my undergrad at UC Berkeley, the only thing I was thinking is to get a 4.0 GPA and that got me nowhere.

I am now working as an education consultant and I got the job because I made an online course (over 200 hours of work and made ~$200). I am now working at my dream job – helping organizations to make information more accessible to their audience with learning theories and technology.

My point is that you need to pay attention to the right things, and doing stuff for free is not a shame. Don’t ask for money, contribute what you can first and people will find your value and hire you one day (expect to put out the work either applying or contributing for at least 10 months before you get noticed).

Almost half of 2020 college grads still looking for work

“I should be out of the house by now” – 2020 college graduates

According to a survey in 2021, more than 40% of college graduates and do not use their degrees. They take on a $50,000 student loan for a degree that will not earn them back for the investment.

Source: https://infogram.com/uspr-degree-not-worth-it-men-v-women-1h7j4d98g5ex2nr

Because they don’t have goals after college.

Most high school students’ end goal is – getting into an Ivy League. That’s it.

Let me elaborate.

That means their goal is NOT becoming a NY Best Selling Author, A Machanic at Tesla, or A Software Engineer at Google, or whatever their potential career can be AFTER graduating from college.

Inevitably, they won’t do anything after graduation because graduating is all of it.

With the pride they have in them as “Ivy League Graduates” and unfortunately that’s all they have, they are lost and unable to move on. They are unable to break out the fear of people finding out they are a fraud because they only know how to “get into Ivy League” and nothing else beyond.

“So, what are you gonna do now?” is the scariest question to them.

To Fearful Ivy League Graduates:
You have to face your fear because when things are scary, it’s usually because it’s important. I understand it’s scary to learn about who you are, what do you stand for, and what is your value.
Don’t be.
Spend 1-2 years exploring and talking to people.
You will find what you want to do.

Not a single student is able to fully leverage the resources they have on any campus. So, if you have no clue what you are going to do and think that colleges will set a path for your career, you are going to be lost.

For students who don’t set goals beyond getting into college, they pick the major that get them into college but not the major that elevates their personal and career development.

Here 7 mistakes you want to avoid when picking a major:

1) Not considering your passions or interests: You should never pick a major because someone tells you it’s a lucrative field or because your parents want you to study something. You should pick a major based on what you’re passionate about and what you would love to do for the rest of your life.

2) Picking a major because it’s easy: Just because a major is easy doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you. You should challenge yourself and pick something that will make you work hard. It will be worth it in the long run.

3) Picking a major based on salary: Don’t be motivated by money and don’t pick a major just because you will be able to make a lot of it. It’s not the key to achieving success. Money may buy happiness but it won’t bring you satisfaction from what you do.

4) Trying to find the perfect major: There is no such thing as the perfect major. You will have to make compromises and find something that’s a good fit for you.

5) Picking a major because your friends are doing it: Just because your friends are picking a certain major doesn’t mean you should too. You should pick something that you’re interested in.

6) Not having a backup major: You don’t want to have the “what if I pick this major and it doesn’t work out?” feeling. But your plans might not go as expected so you should have something else in mind just in case.

7) Not thinking outside the box: You don’t have to pick a traditional major like business or engineering. There are many other options out there that you should explore.

So, if you want to avoid making any of these mistakes, start by talking to your guidance counselor and doing your own research on different majors. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

Websites for Career Research

Think about what you’re passionate about and what would bring you personal satisfaction. Lastly, you should always do something that will challenge and push your limits. Choose the major that will allow you to grow and learn more about yourself. Don’t make the mistake of choosing a major because it makes others happy or if it seems like a safe option.

Grade Point Average

Grade Point Average represents the average academic performance of a particular period of time.

My junior GPA is 3.6.
My first-year GPA is 2.8.

It makes sense that schools and parents obsess with your GPA. That is an important indicator that if you are doing well in school and, maybe, just maybe, you will do well in life.

And that’s all I want to say about GPA for the extrinsic reason. What does GPA represent to a student like you?

Have you asked your teacher how to fix your GPA?
Have you asked around and ask people how they raise their GPA?
Have you spent enough time and do your due diligence as an active learning member in each class?
Did you pick a class that you are not interested in or too challenging?
When you see a “D” on your assignment, do you talk to someone to seek improvement before the next assignment?

An athlete who spends time training might not be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) but will certainly not perform poorly. Your GPA represents your ability to manage your role as a student in an environment where learning progress is being graded.

Nothing more.

What is College and Do We Need Them?

“If I fail my midterm can I still get an A?”

“How do I get admitted to NYU?”

“Is 3.6 GPA good enough to go to UPenn?”

“What extra-curriculum do I need to go to Harvard?”

JUST STOP

It’s not that they are not important questions and I understand why you want to know if you are good enough whether it’s in your parents’ eyes or your friend’s eyes.

They means very little for the long run (and you probably already realize that).

It’s way more important to think about why are you struggling with these questions and how come you have not found the answer yet?

Quit Productivity Cult and join Aspiration Troop

Productivity Cult focuses on:

How many hours do I study for this exam? How complete are my study guide and cheetsheet?
How many As do I have? Is my GPA highest among the cult?
How many extra-curriculum activities do I have and how many AP am I taking?

Aspiration Troop focuses on:

What do I need to do to explore, develop and commit to my career aspiration so I can show colleges my conviction to solve a problem in my daily life?
What is my plan after college and how will the college experience elavate my perosnal life and career?
Am I connecting with the right people in my circles? Do they give me inspiration for the future?

What is Student Ownership

Student ownership happens when a student knows what they are learning and has the autonomy and competence to pursue the knowledge and application.

“my teacher doesn’t teach! Going to the classroom is a waste of time.”

I think you are wasting the time yourself. Although it might be intimidating, you have the right to exercise your student right by … asking questions.

So, don’t ever tell me that your teacher doesn’t teach if you are willing to put in the work to learn.