Preface – Doreen Galli

I am often asked about my college career: why I did what I did and how I did it. My grandparents were immigrants to the United States, and none of them graduated high school. My grandma only made it through 3rd grade, yet I’m here today with six degrees. I started with a triple-major, highest-honors bachelor’s degree from a top private liberal arts school. But I didn’t stop there; I continued on to get a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in record time from one of the best scientific universities in the world. Finally, in adulthood, I went back to school to earn an honors MBA while working full time as a Fortune 10 executive.

So, why did I go to college? The American dream is the ability to work hard, get a great education and achieve your definition of success, no matter your background. Since no one in my family ever went to college, I wanted to prove it could be done. I remember speaking with my grandma sometime before I’d finished my Ph.D. My grandfather had just died, and she was talking about how she had led a great and full life. I knew she was about to say, “I am ready to die.” I pointed out that she hadn’t seen anyone in our family get a Ph.D. yet! She knew I was right, so she hung around. In fact, she lived until three days after I defended my thesis, with a very large smile on her face.

That said, it’s very hard to win a game if you don’t know the rules. Not having any family members who went to college meant I had to figure out how the system worked for myself. In the years since, I’ve also had the benefit of serving as a faculty member for half a decade. Perhaps equally important, I recently finished my sixth degree within the modern academic system. Along the way, I learned a thing or two about our education system and figured out a few tips and tricks that enabled me to finish three majors in four years while also enjoying my college years. This is what I’ll share with you so that you, too, can pursue and achieve your educational goals with optimal results.