College
Advice I Wish I’d Taken
Susan Shapiro
ON CAMPUS OCT. 17, 2017
I taught my first class
at Columbia University’s M.F.A. program this month, and even though I’ve been
teaching college writing since 1993, I initially felt a little intimidated by
the school’s regal campus. That, and regretful.
I enjoyed going to
college at the University of Michigan, an hour from home, but my secret
humiliation is: I was the type of mediocre student I now disdain. As a
freshman, I cared about my friends, my boyfriend and my poetry. Or, I cared
about what my boyfriend thought of my friends, what my friends thought of him,
and what they thought of my poetry about him. Here’s what I wish
I’d known and done differently:
A’S ARE COOL AND COME
WITH PERKS As a student, I saw myself as
anti-establishment, and I hated tests; I barely maintained a B average. I
thought only nerds spent weekends in the library studying. Recently I learned
that my niece Dara, a sophomore at New York University with a 3.7 G.P.A. (and a
boyfriend), was offered a week of travel in Buenos Aires as part
of her honors seminar. I was retroactively envious to learn that a 3.5 G.P.A.
or higher at many schools qualifies you for free trips, scholarships, grants,
awards, private parties and top internships. At 20, I was too busy freaking out
when said boyfriend disappeared (after sleeping with one of said friends).
Students certainly don’t need to strive obsessively for perfection, but I
should have prioritized grades, not guys.
SHOW UP AND SPEAK UP If
a class was boring or it snowed, I’d skip. My rationale was that nobody in the
300-person lecture hall would notice and I could get notes later. Attendance
barely counted. When I went, I’d sit quietly in back. Yet as a teacher, I see
that the students who come weekly, sit in front, and ask and answer questions
get higher grades and frankly, preferential treatment. After 15 weeks, I barely
know the absentees or anyone Snapchatting the term away on their iPhones. It’s
not just that these students flush $300 down the toilet every time they miss my
class; participating can actually lead to payoffs. I reward those who try
harder with recommendations, references, professional contacts and
encouragement.
CLASS CONNECTIONS CAN
LAUNCH YOUR CAREER As an undergrad, I rarely visited my
professors during office hours. I didn’t want to annoy teachers with what I
considered triviality. Besides, I thought I knew everything already. In
graduate school, on the other hand, I went to the readings of a professor I
admired. Eventually, I’d go to his office just to vent. Once, after I
complained about a dead-end job, he recommended me for a position at The New
Yorker, jump-starting my career.
But it’s not just your
professors who will help your life trajectory. Several classmates of mine from
graduate school wound up working as editors at other publications, and they
have since hired me for freelance work. Years later, I’ve helped students and colleagues
where I teach, at the New School and New York University, land jobs, get
published and meet with editors and agents.
PROFESSORS ARE PEOPLE,
TOO As a teacher, I’ve kept all the letters, cards and poems
of gratitude I’ve been sent. It’s nice to be appreciated, and it makes a
lasting impression. After one of my intro sessions, a freshman from Idaho
blurted out: “Awesome class! It’s like you stuck my fingers in a light socket.”
I laughed and invited her to speed walk with me around the local park — an
activity I take part in nightly as a sort of active office hours — and we
workshopped ideas that led to her first book. And when a student confided she
was dying to take another class with me but had lost her financial aid, I let
her audit. In retrospect, I should have been more open with the instructors I
admired.
FIND YOUR PROFESSORS ON
SOCIAL MEDIA I answer all emails, and while I may not
accept all friend requests, I respond to students who follow me on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram. More important, social media is where I post about
panels, job openings and freelance work. Checking out students’ social media
feeds also allows me to see new sides of their personalities. Naked beer pong
photos may not impress, but witty posts and original ideas do. Several students
have developed book projects from their blogs and Instagram pages, and I
promote their work, charities and events on my own social media feeds. You
never know if the college president or your professor might retweet or repost
your work.
YOU CAN SOCIALIZE BETTER
SOBER Drinking and smoking eased my social anxiety and seemed
like fun. Until I couldn’t stop. Getting clean — smoke-toke-alcohol-free — led
to a huge upswing in my life. Instead of partying, I’d do movie nights,
dancing, yoga, aerobics classes and readings with friends and dates. I was
surprised to see that my work greatly improved, as did my relationships. I know
many students who get into big trouble when they are under the influence, and I
still worry about what I missed, wasting so much time wasted.
YOU’RE NOT STUCK Don’t
be afraid to ask for emotional support. It was a graduate school professor who
recommended my first therapist to me: She was a fantastic listener who charged
on a sliding scale. Therapy can be cheap, fun and easily available — not to
mention lifesaving.
And if it turns out
you’re in the wrong school, don’t worry. A third of college students transfer before
graduating. If you’re unhappy or not thriving at your school, take the long
view. I couldn’t have made it in Manhattan as an undergraduate, but four years
later, graduate school at New York University offered me a chance to live in my
dream city. It took me only three decades of work to make it to the Ivy League
— to teach one class, at least.
Susan Shapiro (@Susanshapironet),
a writing professor at the New School, is the author of “Five Men Who Broke My
Heart,” and the forthcoming “The Byline Bible.”
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