“Picture yourself here.”

“Become all you can be.”

“This will be the best four years of your life.”

The college pitch to high school seniors is alluring—though it doesn’t sketch a very clear life plan for a young person entering higher education. As Heights Headmaster Alvaro de Vicente points out, a successful time in college can be measured in growth: Are you physically, spiritually, and intellectually stronger by the end of these four years? In order to answer yes, students will need to embark upon college with a plan and a healthy way of measuring those dimensions of growth.

This week on HeightsCast, Mr. de Vicente shares incredibly practical advice for spending the college years well, drawing on a letter he sent this summer to the newly graduated Heights class of 2024.

Chapters: * 1:45 The best four years of your life? * 6:44 Old truths remain fresh * 9:17 College success measured by growth * 12:05 Five battlefronts, five tools for success * 12:36 One: Shower and eat breakfast * 15:30 Two: Look at your day as a 9-to-5 job * 19:26 Mr. de Vicente’s study plan * 25:32 Three: Find the right peer group * 30:04 Four: Chart a path for spiritual growth * 32:00 Five: Have a mentor * 35:27 A reasonable study load, being effective without overloading * 41:26 Laptop distractions in class * 44:25 Breaking out of the “self-focused” college attitude * 50:40 A truer pursuit of happiness

Featured Opportunities: * The Art of Teaching Conference at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2024)

Also on the Forum: * Considerations for College-Bound Students featuring Dr. Peter Kilpatrick of The Catholic University of America * The College Experience featuring Dr. Jonathan Sanford of University of Dallas * Rethinking College: Why Go? How? When? featuring Arthur Brooks