I’ve been sadly negligent on the blog (again) this summer. But, in the spirit of the new academic year starting tomorrow, I thought I would offer a few recommendations to my students for the coming year. The source of this is from a rather unlikely place. I teach in theatre, literature, and media, but some of the best academic advice I ever received came from my college basketball coach, Coach K. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be dispensing some of Coach K’s advice tidbits, but in the meantime, here are the top 5.
1. Know the Game Plan
In basketball, we had a notebook of plays that we had to memorize (and, seriously, we were quizzed with line-drills as punishment). We also had scouting reports on the other team, strategy meetings, and reviewing of taped games. In school, it also makes sense to have some kind of plan for the year and, more specifically, for each of your courses. What are you trying to achieve this year? How will you define success? What are the steps you need to get there? Every good planner, researcher, student, or coach will tell you the same thing: figure out the big goal and break the process into manageable chunks. Know what you want and why you’re there. Be prepared to follow your plan and if you deviate from it, be disciplined about getting back on track. Things will happen to deter you, but it will be easier to manage if you are focused on a larger purpose and plan for your work. And always…
3. Read the Defense
For the team sports folk among us, you’ll recognize this from your playing days. You’re coming down the field or court or pitch and as you look up from the ground, you’re scoping out the other team. How are they positioned? What do they expect? Where are they stronger? Where are they weaker? Has their strategy changed since the last time you came this way?
In academia it need not be nearly so confrontational, but it’s useful to remember to read each situation for what it is, not what it was or what you thought it would be. If you’re not doing well in a class, look around. Stop doing the same thing you’ve been doing and scope out the obstacles. What’s going on here? Who are the players (teachers, classmates) and what do they expect? In every conversation, really listen to the person talking. Too often, we tend to think we know what’s coming next and tune out. Then we risk responding to something the way we imagine it is or the way it was last time, instead of the way it actually is right now. Take the time to really study and see things for what they are–right here, right now–and you won’t miss important changes and possibilities for success. When the defense does change–as it inevitably will–be prepared to…
3. Adapt and Adjust
In basketball terms, this meant everything from calling the right play to crack the other team’s defense to figuring out how to fix a broken play midway through. In academic terms, it means reading each situation, encounter, and exchange for what it is and figuring out how to adjust your behavior to take advantage of the situation. If your system of taking notes isn’t working (based on quizzes, tests, or something else) be prepared to find a new way of working or studying. If you’re not doing well on papers, change the way you write. This might mean working at a different time of day or getting feedback from different sources. Working by yourself not producing the grades you want? Try the writing center. Writing center’s too crowded? Find a friend who can help you edit. Friend’s not doing well either? Go to office hours. Too often, I see students try the same thing over and over and wonder why their grades aren’t improving. Or, sometimes a student will try one or two new things, not do well, and then give up entirely. This is a mistake that everyone can avoid. Even if you’ve got clear goals and a clear achievable plan, you will need to adjust aspects of your plan based on unexpected events and outcomes. Be prepared to keep trying new things until you find something that works for you. Keep working, and remember….
4. You play the way you practice
This was an important lesson for me since I loved games almost as much as I loathed practice. Particularly in high school and often in college, I was the kid who wanted to coast through practice assuming that the magic of game day would produce the results I wanted. Of course, this is nonsense. What you do when it really matters–in a game, on stage, on an exam, writing under pressure, in a job interview, in front of your first class of the semester–is always and *only* what you’ve prepared up to that point. There’s always a little shot of adrenaline for the big day, but what’s underneath that is what you’ve already done a million times before. If you practice sloppy and casual, at some point it will come out when you play usually when you’re tired, the adrenaline is gone, and your body just wants it all to be over. Those are the moments when the well-trained, well-practiced players shine and the rest of us can only watch with envy.
Happily, we can all be the well-trained, well-practiced, well prepared player. The kind of person (student, actor, designer, researcher) you are depends solely on you. No one can control their innate level of talent, material resources, or thousands of other variables. (I always wanted to be taller; think what I could have accomplished with a few more inches!) But we all have power over our own work ethic and choices. Sometimes the short, hustling players get rebounds from slower, taller players. If you read consistently, study well, make and follow a plan, and work hard even when you’re tired or it seems like it doesn’t matter, chances are you’ll be successful when it counts. For my students in theatre, this means treating every rehearsal with the same attention, discipline, and commitment as opening night. Treat each project or writing exercise as a final project. We all get overwhelmed and we all need to take breaks sometimes, but if you’ve practiced diligently, you’ll be better prepared when the important stuff comes along. Which brings me to Coach K’s final and best piece of advice in the top 5…
5. You create your own opportunities
It’s easy to say that the other team got all the breaks, better calls from the officials, and that our team just didn’t have the luck today. But this is [If Coach K had allowed cursing (which she didn't), there would be an expletive here]. The fact is that everyone has to face certain opportunities and obstacles. The difference between successful people and others is that the successful among us are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities when they come. Through hard work and diligence, they create their own luck. This isn’t difficult to accomplish, but it is hard. It’s simply the product of being prepared, working hard, and always looking for the right opportunity. There’s another piece of advice here that I can’t attribute directly to Coach, but was written on the wall of the team room: “Good things come to those who wait…but only the things left by those who hustle.”
If you’re waiting to be discovered or for the “right moment,” you’ll be waiting a long time. If you’re tempted to blame the professor, your collaborators, the director, remember that at the end of the day, it’s still your work that’s on the line. Always focus on what you’re doing and what you can do better. The next time you’re tempted to think that other people just have it easier than you, look around. What are they doing that you’re not? What could you do differently? If you’re not getting cast in other people’s shows, can you make your own work? If people aren’t giving you a shot, are you making opportunities for yourself?
I love living on the academic calendar because every fall feels fresh and new. The beginning of every term is always a new start. For me, it means I get to start over every fall with a clean slate and new projects, challenges, and goals. And, as of today, I haven’t messed up in any of my classes (they start tomorrow). So, to my students–new, returning, and former–have a great new year. Whatever your goals, adventures, and pursuits, good luck!
