I had the tremendous good fortune to speak with Louis E. Newman, the author of Thinking Critically in College: The Essential Handbook for Student Success. Louis is the former dean of academic advising at Stanford and a former professor at Carleton College, so he has decades of experience in helping students succeed in college-- not just in the classroom.

Louis shared strategies and tactics that students can use to ease the transition to college, from getting involved and making friends to understanding college-level academics to building relationships with faculty. Among other things, we discussed:

• How to approach choosing a college and a major

• How and why to go to office hours

• How to build the academic and intellectual skills that will help you thrive as a college student

• How to engage on campus

And so much more! As Louis says, "Think of your education as a passport, not a plane ticket."

If you have a soon-to-be college student, you absolutely must listen to our conversation, which is here.