Today, we got to hear from Dr. Schwars and his advice on how to succeed in college and beyond. Before we even started the discussion, he let us know that by attending an elite school, we were already at an advantage for succeeding at college. We have more resources that are available to us when we attend a good school, and we also will receive a highly respectable degree in the end. He then brought up the fact that socioeconomic status is correlated with who are the people attending college. Simply put, those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds tend to send their kids to college more often than people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. One because they are better able to afford higher education, and two because their parents provide a pressure to attend college.

In terms of direct advice, he told us we should have a general plan of what we would like to do, before we even enter college. We are allowed to change that plan, but we must re-plan and make changes along the way. Another tip was to take discussion classes because they equip you with the skill to speak eloquently in order to get your point across, which is a really valuable skill to have. As well as taking discussion classes, he also recommended that students take classes where the professors care about the students in the classes. If the professor does not care about the students he or her teaches Schwars argued, the professor is more likely to be indifferent when you go to him or her about your respective concerns. Lastly, he recommended that practicing interviweing earlier on, whether it be through student clubs or the career center, effective interviewing is a vital skill to have in the job market.