The Activities Harvest

I heard a great analogy today from a colleague.

He thinks of the activities students begin early in high school as crops. You “plant” activities/ideas, maybe even starting in the 9th grade. Only continue doing extracurriculars that are meaningful–you’re not just doing them for the hours earned, but your enjoyment. Except perhaps for scrolling on your phone, every activity has value. Don’t start thinking about what recipe you’ll make in four years, also known as “what you think colleges want to see.” Instead, 9th and 10th graders should sample a range of activities and engage with those for as long as that interest remains.

What will you choose to cultivate for 2, 3, or 4 years?

Parents and students ask about research and internships. It’s not easy for a 14 year old to have the opportunity to work in a lab on a professor’s research project, but that student could begin their own research by using credible sources to study any area of interest. One of my students who pursued aerospace engineering constantly watched videos on NASA’s website, and discovered other sources there. He may not have “published research,” which generally costs a good deal of money, but he proved his intellectual curiosity to colleges and wrote some compelling essays. Regarding internships, all are not equal. Some “official internships” offer students gruntwork with little opportunity to actually learn. Helping out in any kind of business for free can lead to a paying job, and even if it doesn’t, the experience gained is worth it. 

Be open-minded about jobs: nearly every type of employment gives students the chance to learn leadership and problem-solving skills, collaboration, and serving others. Some of the best essays come out of these experiences.

That brings us back to the activities garden. By senior year, take stock. Which activities did you dig into most deeply, and which will you harvest into your Common Application?

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Rethinking Majors

I've been writing about how critical thinking and communications skills will not be easily replaced by AI. People still prefer to negotiate with humans!

Now, less than two years since Chat-GPT 3 was released, we are already seeing its impact. While Computer Science is still a top major, graduates are finding a tighter job market. Companies are cutting back on hiring people who do repetitive work, including coding. How much will this filter trend down and how quickly?

What we are seeing is an increase in students choosing majors in the health fields. Patients are not ready to be cared for by robots in hospitals and clinics. For students who do not choose the grueling work and long process of becoming MD's, there are many options.

AI is becoming entrenched in hospitals. While it may eventually take over billing, coding, and EHR (electronic health record) maintenance, specialists are still required to manage the process. Telehealth practitioners and coordinators provide more flexible options for care. Nearly 500 US hospitals are owned by private equity firms. The hospital business has grown into an industry that employs administrators and managers in every department on a large scale. More assisted living facilities for the large baby boomer population will continue to be built, and employ more highly trained workers, including speech pathologists, physical and occupational therapists, and mental health therapists specializing in gerontology.

 There is only a slight shift, but notice the difference in the top majors. Students are thinking ahead.