And worth every penny
Our tutor looks ahead to losing some of his students.
We are not yet very far into the school year. There have been some tests and resulting anxieties, and our tutor has seen his schedule fill up, but spring and graduation are still a long way off. However, we know that time passes all too quickly, And he will see few of his Senior students, even the regular ones, after college applications are sent off; and fewer still after acceptances are received. So he has been pondering what final words of advice to given them.
Sticking to his professional role, there are workshops he could give on scheduling and organizing one’s study time, as well as on note-taking methods for various types of classes, with examples from his own studies. But, looking at the young men and women before him, and pondering what they’re getting themselves into (of which he has only a foggy idea, and suspects they haven’t as much as that), he has decided on a different set of admonitions.
1) Learn to cook from scratch at least three nutritious meals that you will voluntarily eat. Instant noodles and frozen pizza emphatically do not count. Heat is not necessary: if your tastes and skills run to a tossed salad, that’s good. Advice on nutrition is available from many sources, but almost certainly involves more fresh fruit and vegetables and less salt and sugar than your current diet. N. B: If you can prepare meals that other people will eat, you will attract a Following.
2) Use the time and opportunities at college to choose your sport. I do not mean you need to become a competitive athlete (though you certainly may if you wish). The idea is to develop a routine of physical exercise that you will enjoy enough to continue later in life. It could be pick-up basketball games at the gym; it might be biking or hiking or kayaking (if you live somewhere convenient for one of those); it could be organized or individual. Being physically active is vital to several aspects of your health. N. B.: It would be well to consider how long you’ll be able to continue. I note that the US Naval Academy fencing team has an annual match against alumni, some of whom are from classes as long ago as mine; and the alumni sometimes win. That would be quite impossible for, say, the football team.
3) Learn a poem by heart. I leave the length and the specific material to you. It is worth some time and thought to choose something of quality; few things are as annoying as having trash in your head permanently. This may seem a strange bit of advice, when you can look things up instantly, any time, anywhere. And you’ve been forced to memorize many things of no lasting use during your school years. But it’s only when you can turn over and repeat in your head a masterpiece that you can really appreciate it, and thoroughly enjoy it. One of Shakespeare’s speeches would also work; possibly, something like the Gettysburg Address.
What advice would you give to a college-bound student?
