In this episode of The Way to College Podcast, Dr. Jose Saldivar sits down with Mya Andersen, independent academic life coach and founder of The Student Empowered, to break down the hidden curriculum of college, or the stuff students aren’t explicitly taught, but are still expected to master.

Mya has spent 20+ years working on campuses and saw the same pattern again and again: support is often passive, and schools intervene only when there’s a crisis. But when the conversation starts at crisis-level, the focus becomes the problem, not the student.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why being “college capable” isn’t the same as being “college ready.”

• How to use office hours like a doctor’s appointment (and build real relationships with professors)

• Why college is a big-ticket purchase… and what it looks like to protect your ROI

• When students should start using career services (hint: earlier than most people think)

• For parents: share the real version of your college experience

If you’re a student, parent, educator, or advisor who’s ever thought, “Why didn’t anyone tell me this?” this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen now, then share this episode with one student (or one parent) who needs to hear this conversation.

And if you're interested in learning more about The Student Empowered and Mya's services, you can find her here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myaandersen1928/

Website: https://thestudentempowered.com/

Instagram: @the_student_empowered