Though Covid-19 has significantly impacted many students academically, it has not limited the number of resources available for students to learn on their own. In a College Matters workshop this past spring, our team talked about how an increasing number of competitive colleges are asking applicants to show they are intellectually curious outside of the classroom. This doesn’t mean they are gauging how many extra math problem sets you’re doing. Rather, they are interested in what you are genuinely curious about when you have free time.
Apps like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube give us more access to content than ever before. Devices like Kindle give us entire books in an instant. Our team highly recommends that students take full advantage of these resources to go beyond what they learned in class or to learn something completely different from traditional academia.
There is no one specific piece of content that colleges are looking for. The key is that you are truly interested in and invested in whatever you choose to consume. Reading the entire article is better than reading a collection of tweets. Go for depth rather than breadth.
Demonstrating intellectual curiosity doesn’t have to take up your entire day. You can make it fit into your life. Listen to a podcast interview with your favorite celebrity during your next car ride. Subscribe and follow sites that have interesting articles. Start each day by taking a few minutes to read those articles. Instead of scrolling through TikTok for the 20th time, take a break and order the new book you’ve been hearing about. Pick a documentary on Netflix or YouTube next time you’re browsing for something to watch. Learn to crochet, tutor a neighbor, take a tour of a museum virtually, research your family genealogy.
Once you make engaging with new material a habit, you will notice yourself become more thoughtful and aware. Instead of saying you heard about something, you can actually have a real discussion on the topics that are important to you. This is exactly what colleges are looking for! Don’t forget to make a list of everything you’re listening to, reading, and watching. You’ll be amazed at how long your list becomes over time.