The author argues that the excessive desire for a teacher's or mentor's feedback is not exclusive to the current "iGeneration." She suggests that one of the responsibilities of educators is teaching students to be less hesitant to make their own judgments. She then calls upon current teachers and administrators to model reasonable self-reliance to…

The author challenges the current trend of seeing college as mandatory and questions whether schools and students alike might be better served by academic administrators, parents, and other well-meaning role models acknowledging that education has many forms, and that not every student will have the same aptitude or investment in the outcome.…

The author argues for the myriad benefits of extracurricular involvement to students' psychosocial development and calls upon administrators and professors to encourage students to participate in carefully selected activities with earnest commitment of their time and efforts. The author contends that colleges demonstrate that they encourage…

The author considers how to approach a request for a personal recommendation from someone whom the author does not wish to advocate. Ultimately, the author proposes that those asked to write recommendations have a right to say "no," should they feel hesitant to recommend the candidate, and a responsibility to suggest that someone else might be a…