To the Class of 2016

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Stanford Graduation

As the Patriot Center and other localgraduation venues roll out the red carpet and polish the speaker’s podium, realityis setting in for high school seniors transitioning from top dogs in the schoolhierarchy to lowly freshman at the bottom of the college heap.

But before the ink dries on those diplomas and you sneak off for beach week inthe Carolinas, I want to take advantage of one last opportunity to offerthoughts on your next great adventure.

College is THE SHOW. You've made it out of the minor leagues and into themajors. That's great, and you deserve all the credit in the world. But bewarned—the transition from secondary to post-secondary education can be alittle tricky.

It might surprise you to learn that the rate of college freshman dropouts isestimated at about 1 in 4. Of course this varies among institutions, and manydropouts eventually do find their way back to school.

Still, studies show that only a little over half of those entering 4-yearpost-secondary institutions as freshmen graduate in six years. For mom and dad about to shell out serious money, this is an alarmingstatistic.

And what are the most-frequently cited reasonsfor dropping out? The obvious ones involve financesand academics. Sometimes homesickness or too much partying figures in. Butsadly, failure to engage in the campus community and refusal to quit obsessivelycommunicating with friends from the ‘hood also can contribute. College is very different fromhigh school, and some students simply aren’t prepared for the challenges—organizationaland social.

To address these problems, many schools offer transition programs over thesummer or just before the start of school. If your college offers suchopportunity, take it. Not only will you make friends, but you'll also learn theshortest path to the dining hall. And don’t underestimate the value of spottinga friendly face on move-in day or in the first class you attend.

If you're still concerned about the college transition, talk to friends who'vebeen there, counselors, and your parents. We all have stories about goofyroommates and ugly rush parties. Now that you're entering the college club,maybe you can hear a few.

You might also want to hear what experts have to say. I like a webpage titled, “Howis College Different from High School,” put together by SMU. And, The Professors' Guide is goodbecause they lay things out in easy-to-grasp lists like 15habits of top college students and 15secrets of getting good grades in college.

The bottom line is ask for help when you need it.  Don’t let problems fester and snowball intocrises.

The Huffington Post recently published quotes from this year’s notable college commencement speeches which goes nicely with a column by NicholasKristof, titled “TheBest Commencement Speeches Ever.” One of my personal favorites is theaddress given to Stanford grads by Steve Jobs, in 2005, but lastyear’s speeches by AriannaHuffington and ConanO’Brien will likely make the all-time best list, as will this year’s “You’re Not Special” graduation speech given by Wellesley High School’s DavidMcCullough, Jr. (it takes an English teacher to "tell it like it is").

In all of these wonderful remarks, you’ll find much good advice mostly offeredto undergrads—prospective and graduating—whose numbers you will be replenishingin the fall.

But for now, enjoy your moment at the Patriot Center or Constitution Hall. Thenturn the page and think of yourselves as members of the Class of 2016!