Harlan Cohen breaks down the fundamental problem with college: schools prepare students academically but leave them completely unprepided for the emotional, social, financial, and professional transitions that make or break the college experience. Drawing from his own painful story of struggling, feeling lonely, and eventually transferring, Harlan reveals why so many high-achieving students arrive on campus overwhelmed, anxious, and blindsided by challenges no one warned them about. The episode introduces his core framework for navigating change through patients, places, and people, and makes the case that curiosity, belonging, and practicing discomfort are the real keys to a successful first year. * * * * * * * * * *

Harlan Cohen is a leading expert on college readiness and success. He helps parents, students, and educators.

Check out his Best First Year College Readiness & Success program for Parents & Students: 🎓 https://courses.bestfirstyear.com/courses/your-first-course Use code Pod15 at checkout and get 15% off a 12 or 18 month membership.

Check out his On-Demand Events: 🎓 https://courses.bestfirstyear.com/collections

The Harlan Cohen Podcast is available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Subscribe and listen to Harlan’s podcast here: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-harlan-cohen-podcast/id1531004466 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b5f3901f-d7b6-4f73-b183-8a5e10c4423a/the-harlan-cohen-podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28gSjxL3CmmL6U9lpDDlCA Podbean: https://harlancohenpodcast.podbean.com/

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/@HelpMeHarlan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harlancohen/ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@helpmeharlan?... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harlan.cohen/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlancohen Twitter: https://x.com/HarlanCohen Website: https://www.HarlanCohen.com THE HARLAN COHEN PODCAST New York Times bestselling author Harlan Cohen has candid conversations with top experts, and leading influencers. Guests share their greatest victories, devastating setbacks, and most valuable advice to help listeners dream big and take action. Hosted by Harlan Cohen, New York Times bestselling author, and speaker. Harlan is the founder of Best First Year, and has over 1 million books in print. His live events, books, programs, and workshops have reached millions of people and changed countless lives.

In this conversation with Brandon Busteed, founder of Edconic and former head of education research at Gallup, we explored what really matters when it comes to career success after college. Brandon shared groundbreaking findings from the Gallup-Purdue Index, revealing that only 22% of college graduates had a mentor who encouraged their goals and dreams. We discussed his own non-linear journey from Duke athlete to class president to entrepreneur, and how he learned to reframe failure as fuel for growth. Brandon emphasized that picking your manager is more important than picking your company, challenged students to look beyond Fortune 500 firms to small and medium-sized enterprises where they can make real impact, and urged everyone to focus on relationship-rich experiences and work-integrated learning during college. His advice is clear: success isn't just about the paycheck or the brand name. It's about doing meaningful work that uses your unique talents every single day.

* * * * * * * * * * Are you a parent of current or soon-to-be college student? Are you a student? Join BEST FIRST YEAR, Harlan's College Success Coaching Community for High School & College Parents (and students)

Use code Pod15 at checkout and get 15% off a 12 or 18 month membership. Tap here: https://courses.bestfirstyear.com/courses/your-first-course

The Harlan Cohen Podcast is available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Subscribe and listen to Harlan’s podcast here: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-harlan-cohen-podcast/id1531004466 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b5f3901f-d7b6-4f73-b183-8a5e10c4423a/the-harlan-cohen-podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28gSjxL3CmmL6U9lpDDlCA Podbean: https://harlancohenpodcast.podbean.com/

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/@HelpMeHarlan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harlancohen/ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@helpmeharlan?... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harlan.cohen/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlancohen Twitter: https://x.com/HarlanCohen Website: https://www.HarlanCohen.com

About Brandon: Brandon Busteed, CEO of Edconic, is a leading expert on work-integrated learning. Edconic provides students with transformative industry-immersive experiences in partnership with iconic organizations.

Links: Check out Edconic's industry-immersive experiences: https://edconic.com/ Brandon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/busteed Contributor / Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brandonbusteed/

Link to an article on the Gallup-Purdue Index Big 6 College Experiences: https://news.gallup.com/poll/182306/big-six-college-experiences-linked-life-preparedness.aspx

Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:19 - Defining Success: Beyond Money and Titles 00:04:23 - The Gallup-Purdue Index: What Predicts Career Success 00:08:44 - Relationship-Rich Experiences in College 00:10:19 - Work-Integrated Learning: The Missing Link 00:12:17 - Pick the Professor, Not the Class 00:18:37 - Brandon's Non-Linear Career Journey 00:22:40 - Reframing Failure as Opportunity 00:28:19 - Learning to Be Motivated by Failure 00:34:55 - Starting Outside the Classroom: From Idea to Business 00:41:38 - Why Young Adults Need More Work Experience 00:43:35 - How to Explore Career Options Early 00:46:26 - Interview Question: What Are You Great At? 00:50:20 - The Most Important Question: Who's Your Manager? 00:54:42 - Manager Feedback Matters More Than You Think 00:56:32 - Small Companies vs. Fortune 500: Hidden Opportunities 01:01:00 - Closing Thoughts

THE HARLAN COHEN PODCAST New York Times bestselling author Harlan Cohen has candid conversations with top experts, and leading influencers. Guests share their greatest victories, devastating setbacks, and most valuable advice to help listeners dream big and take action. Hosted by Harlan Cohen, New York Times bestselling author, and speaker. Harlan is the founder of Best First Year, and has over 1 million books in print. His live events, books, programs, and workshops have reached millions of people and changed countless lives.

Months ago, I posted a reel encouraging students to try and ask their teachers to round up their grades if they were close to the next letter grade. High school teacher David Loudermilk saw an opportunity to use this idea to teach self-advocacy. In this conversation, Mr. Loudermilk and I discuss how he turned my controversial concept into a reality, requiring students to use argumentative writing skills (claim, evidence, reasoning) to make their case. We dive into why communication is such a critical skill students need, and how creating safe spaces for self-advocacy prepares young people for life's inevitable rejections and opportunities. A must-listen for educators and parents who want to help students find their voice.

* * * * * * * * * * Are you a parent of current or soon-to-be college student? Are you a student? Join BEST FIRST YEAR, Harlan's College Success Coaching Community for High School & College Parents (and students)

Use code Pod15 at checkout and get 15% off a 12 or 18 month membership. Tap here: https://courses.bestfirstyear.com/courses/your-first-course

The Harlan Cohen Podcast is available on Spotify, Amazon, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Subscribe and listen to Harlan’s podcast here: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-harlan-cohen-podcast/id1531004466 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b5f3901f-d7b6-4f73-b183-8a5e10c4423a/the-harlan-cohen-podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28gSjxL3CmmL6U9lpDDlCA Podbean: https://harlancohenpodcast.podbean.com/

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/@HelpMeHarlan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harlancohen/ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@helpmeharlan?... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harlan.cohen/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harlancohen Twitter: https://x.com/HarlanCohen Website: https://www.HarlanCohen.com

About Mr. Loudermilk David Loudermilk is a social science teacher in Northern California. Before teaching high school, he taught middle school, served as a middle school athletic director, worked as a 1:1 paraprofessional in a high school/adult transition program for special needs students, and was a substitute teacher for K-12 classrooms. From 2020-2024, he was elected to serve as a board member for the Durham Unified School District in Durham, California. Related videos: Life Tip 1033 - The Round Up Request Experiment: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DJ5Rh71vTU8/ College Tip 1578 - If You're a College Student Who Successfully Asked a Professor to Round Up https://www.instagram.com/reels/DSKwirLEcNm/

Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 02:05 - Why This Experiment 03:25 - Points Controversy 07:22 - Building Trust 08:13 - Grade Grubber Myth 10:35 - Evidence-Based Approach 11:27 - Creating Safe Space 12:16 - Social Capital & Equity 15:54 - Worthiness & Advocacy 19:06 - The Process Explained 25:21 - AI Consequences 29:17 - Participation Numbers 30:29 - Email vs Face-to-Face 33:21 - Teacher Time Investment 37:23 - Student Feedback 42:19 - Grades vs Skills 43:00 - Best Buy Story 44:28 - Rejection Lessons 47:37 - Sharing Resources 49:24 - Full Circle Moment 51:08 - Outro

THE HARLAN COHEN PODCAST New York Times bestselling author Harlan Cohen has candid conversations with top experts, and leading influencers. Guests share their greatest victories, devastating setbacks, and most valuable advice to help listeners dream big and take action. Hosted by Harlan Cohen, New York Times bestselling author, and speaker. Harlan is the founder of Best First Year, and has over 1 million books in print. His live events, books, programs, and workshops have reached millions of people and changed countless lives.