Category: Life Skills

Well, How Did I Get Here?

Posted by: admin on March 19th, 2019

Just 10 or 15 years ago, before we could rely on our phones and satellites to keep track of us, we had to keep track of ourselves. And we did so imperfectly. At least, my friends and I did. Often, we’d plod along until we registered something recognizable – the Citgo sign by Fenway Park […]

Why You Should Unplug This Thanksgiving

Posted by: admin on March 19th, 2019

Please don’t post pics of your turkey dinner. Don’t Instagram your far-flung family with photos of your goings-on while ignoring your present company. Do not tweet, hashtag or snap. For a few days, or at least on Thanksgiving Day, unplug. An App cannot enhance or replace the connection of face-to-face human interaction. Giving your full […]

Why Parents Should Act as Consultants

Posted by: admin on March 19th, 2019

You just have to study more. Work harder. That’s it. Just buckle down, put in more time, and you  will  get the grades you want! Right? Perhaps you have heard these statements before. Well, my response is this: “Kudos for your willingness to work hard.” And this: “maybe.” However, the questions remain: Is putting in […]

Some Notes on Notes

Posted by: admin on March 14th, 2019

I used to love back-to-school shopping as a kid. Fresh pencils and pens, maybe a new pencil case, and, of course, new notebooks. Those wonderfully unblemished and perfectly blank notebooks that just beg to be seen as metaphor: the open mind waiting to be filled with knowledge; the blank slate that every student begins the […]

Processing High School Admission News (No Matter What)

Posted by: admin on March 12th, 2019

Soon, private high schools will send out their admissions decisions. I’ve helped hundreds of families through this process, and I am no longer surprised by the immense significance families often place on the outcomes of these decisions. Some truly believe that whether or not their student “gets in” to their first-choice private school will forever […]

Perfect Now

Posted by: admin on March 6th, 2019

I am such a baby when offered a legitimate excuse. For the last week, I’ve been regaling everyone I’ve “seen” with my tale of woe after recovering from a pretty agonizing eye surgery called photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). It’s Lasik’s more painful cousin, and it takes a few days to recover from it. Now that I’m […]

Less Screen Time and More Face-to-Face Time

Posted by: admin on March 6th, 2019

A lot of students we see at PrepMatters are keen on attending college in or near a city. The reasons may seem obvious: coffee shops, bookstores, restaurants, concert venues, cultural activities, awesome stuff to buy, and social opportunities – all with more people and more diversity. Lights, camera, and action: the swirl of people and […]

How to Accept Feedback

Posted by: admin on March 5th, 2019

Having social distanced for the greater part of a year, I’m a bit hungry for feedback. I miss the ways in which social interactions used to teach and shape me. Feedback makes me better. But it can sometimes bring out the worst in me: a childish pettiness I’m embarrassed not to have better mastered in […]

Executive Function: Persistence

Posted by: admin on March 5th, 2019

What motivates us is shaped by all the various experiences that shape who we are. So when it comes to persevering through ambivalence, uncertainty, and inner resistance, there are few shortcuts to genuine self-knowledge. If you’re struggling to study for your plumbing licensure, barely keeping your eyes open as you memorize ventilating piping and fixture […]

Creating a Strong Online Presence

Posted by: admin on March 5th, 2019

Social media reaches way beyond your personal world to create an expansive, public, online presence. It can be a spontaneous, fun time: posting party pics, connecting with students across the globe, stating political opinions, or voicing your innermost thoughts—across a variety of platforms in multiple mediums (photos, words, gestures, emojis, videos). With social media, you […]