Advice from Garry Wills:

Play to your strengths.

Learn to write well.

Read, read, read.

Seek out the most intellectually adventurous of your fellow students.

Do not fear political activism.

Richard Hamming:

If you do not work on an important problem, it's unlikely you'll do important work.

How The Average U.S. Consumer Spends Their Annual Paycheck

Reading: $118
"Entertainment": $2,698

Donald Rumsfeld:

If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.

Ira Glass:

If you're not failing all the time, you're not creating a situation where you can get super-lucky.