This book was written for my nephews as they graduated high school. It explores the single theme that words have power to shape thoughts, and students commonly speak and think of college in terms that predictably degrade their preparation for work and life. More specifically, thinking of college in terms of satisfying externally imposed constraints (graduation requirements or boxes to check on job applications) naturally leads to an approach of minimizing effort, prematurely narrowing focus, and "gaming the system." The effects can be seen in both course selection and the approach to studying for each course. These pitfalls can be avoided by thinking of college in terms of its purpose (preparation for work and life) which encourages a more coherent course of study, self motivation and seeing graduation requirements not as targets to aim for, but as minimums to be exceeded. Along the way, I present some implications for studying, using a textbook, setting one's own standards for performance, and reducing stress from homework and exams. Though examples are drawn from STEM courses in college, the principles are applicable to other levels of education, including middle school and high school.