How do I prepare for Yale?

momofmusician17
Fri, 13 Dec 2013 10:13:40 +0000

@BrownParent - Thanks for my morning chuckle!

Quote: “Don’t worry about being a minnow. You’re there to learn, share YOUR amazing abilities/experiences with others, and draw theirs from them.”

^^ Those are my son’s sentiments exactly. He said that you meet all these incredibly nice, down-to-earth people and then you have a class with them and realize how brilliant they are. My son was chatting with someone from his RC about playing the piano and auditioning for piano lessons and this student just told him her audition repetoire. He later found out that the student was the youngest American ever to win an International Piano Competition. His roommate is an academic whiz kid. He delights in all their debates even though he doesn’t feel as if he has had the honor of winning one yet. I know this sounds fairly ‘pollyannaish’, but if you view your college education as a journey versus a competition, you will get so much more out of the entire experience.

Quote: “Chose a balanced course load until you have a chance to test the waters. Maybe find some gut classes to mix in.”

^^This may be the way to go. Or, just decide that your goal is to take challenging and interesting classes and possibly not get all A’s your first semester. My son is probably going to get his first ‘B’ ever (gasp :D). He chose to take all difficult classes his first semester and the road was a little bumpy at the beginnning of the semester between auditioning,shopping for classes and adjusting to life at university. There is no regret on his part about taking more challenging classes as he has enjoyed all of them.

I don’t think there is any wrong path. If you are doubtful already, it may be easier to ease the transition by taking one class that you know that you can ace. I will echo everyone else in stating that you were accepted and you belong. Sit back, relax and enjoy your last semester. It truly does fly by!