My new friend Robin Goldenberg, a doctor and a professor at Georgetown, is an absolutely brilliant man with incredible insights about how kids can make the most of college. I’m terming these Golden Nuggets for now, until someone comes up with a better name.

Golden Nugget 1: It’s easier to differentiate than compete. While this sounds like a saying written by a hipster for a fortune cookie, it’s actually quite poignant. Rather than doing what everyone else does, do something different. So if you think it’s safe and secure to major in business, say, think again: everyone does this, so now you’re competing against a multitude of people. Counter-intuitively, no one majors in Russian literature anymore. If for some reason you like Dostoevsky, go for it – you’ll certainly have something to discuss on a future interview.