Steve Jobs College Grad Advice

Listen to Steve Job's commencement address to the Stanford Class of 2005 -- some sound advice from someone who despite dropping out of school at age 19 and becoming homeless for short stint has done pretty well for himself!


ADVICE WORTH LISTENING TO:

If you follow your heart + tap into your passion + and jump (risk a bit) = a passionate, successful future will follow.

UC Berkeley / UC Davis College Tour

This past fall I had the opportunity to travel to UC Berkeley and UC Davis with a group of young journalists from Santa Barbara Middle School. They were there to interview college students and uncover the secrets of a successful transition from high school into college. (see their complete interview coverage @ sbmsteenpress.org)


Here are some of the responses college students gave to the questions that were asked... Think of this as some free college advice ...

Q: What helped you with the transition from high school to college? What do you recommend?
A:
Be yourself
Define your own priorities
And above all else..... get connected, and get involved

Q: What do you wish you would have known or done your senior year in high school?
A:

• Don't waste your time just waiting for your senior year to be over.
  
• Use this time to rediscover a long, lost passion, rediscover who you are and really ground yourself in this awareness, explore some creative outlets (photography, yoga, art, blogging, biking) -- there won't be time for creative exploration or much play once you hit college.
• Leadership matters-- make sure your skills continue to evolve
• Good high school friends will stay good friends -- Don't worry!
  

Q: How did you decide to go to UC Berkeley? UC Davis?
A:
I chose my college based as much on heart and gut, as on intellect and image. This is good advice. Your heart and gut always know what is best when it comes to really big decisions. Listen with your heart.

Q: Did you get into your first choice college?
A:
No, I didn't and I was devastated. It really took me down for a while. Even though everyone around me kept telling me, and reassuring me, that in the end it will not matter. What matters is that you find a sense of home and connectedness on your college campus, so that you can relax and really settle in, connect, and learn. We cannot always connect the dots or make sense out of what life gives us looking forward.... only when we look back can we understand that what was given to us was totally meant to be all along.

Q: What's the best piece of advice you can give incoming freshmen?
A:

• It takes time to settle in, so be patient

• Get involved

• Sign up for classes that interest you early on... don't wait

• Call home once a week

• Study first, party second

• Real education exists beyond the classroom's four walls so experience all that you can in the next four or more years

• Plan to travel abroad if you can-- Travel is the best teacher

• Find your own people

• Balance fun with work -- you need both to be happy
  

Do Scary Things in 2010

I have decided that 2010 is the year to do scary things. That's right..... Do SCARY things! Risk a bit. It the stuff that exhilarating dreams are made of. I am convinced that once you do the first scary thing, that it will lead to the next unexpected thing, the next new adventure, a new dream will be born because of the experience, and before you know it you will be living a life worth sharing and celebrating.

Make the idea of taking chances, putting yourself out there, and being vulnerable an integral part of how you are going to do 2010! And let's face it.... if you're willing to take chances, well sometimes you will win and sometimes you will trip, stumble and fail miserably-- but if you practice RISK now while you are still young, curious and ambitious, the fall isn't as far, and the rebound is usually quick.

So get up right now and do something big, bold and scary.... NOW, I said do something SCARY right now. Go!

Letting Go! OUCH! A Few Tips to Ease the Pain

Parents often find themselves feeling lost, out of synch, and wildly disconnected and alone when their sweet, demanding, often arrogant child finally packs his/her car, their high school yearbook, along with their new bedding and childhood blanket, back pack, and slowly drives away. This is the beginning of a new chapter framed by new independence, personal choice, and a whole lot of unknown risk and adventure.

So really who needs the help and extra reassurance in this situation? Yep, the kid is fine. He/she is filled with that contagious adrenaline and excitement that a new, independent adventure releases. Yet parents too, are filled with their own "adrenaline rush" of sorts, and an anxious level of excitement. However, a parent's experience is more likely to be one filled with worry and concern.

Parents often hear the advice to just "Let go, and allow your child to make mistakes; allow them to deal with their own setbacks and challenges." And guess what? Parents do "Let go" ... eventually, but this too is a process that takes time. So let's be careful to honor the process, and the very real grieving that accompanies this loss and significant change in both the lives of the child and the parent.

Here are few tips that can help parents actively "Let Go" as they support their child through this big transition (summarized from the UCSB New Parent Handbook):

1. Focus on COMMUNICATION vs. CONTROL. Get good at asking those open-ended questions. Ask the kind that invite options, choice, and the free will to take personal control of a situation.

2. Be SUPPORTIVE. Simply listen. Let your child know that you are there, and that you are a solid (but not intrusive) source of constant support.

3. Expect CHANGES. College is a time of questioning and challenging the status quo, trying on new faces and playing with new ways of showing up in the world. Expect resistance (especially when they return home). Try hard to just roll with this this period of experimentation, and to respect their new-found independence.

4. Allow for more FREEDOM. This is a time to explore; to sample the buffet table. Most students change majors an average of three or four times throughout their college career. Keep focusing your support on the "end goal," not each micro-step or detour.

5. Adjust your EXPECTATIONS. College is competitive. College is distracting. 4.0+ high school students may struggle to maintain a "B average." The stress that accompanies a whole new environment may be reflected in your child's drop in grades. College kids are busy making friends, learning how to become independent, as well as juggling their study schedules and academic learning. Consider the value of the whole learning experience.

6. Be PATIENT. Don't panic if your child is experiencing some struggle, stress or challenge during those first few months (or even first year) of school. It takes time to develop and find your own rhythm, time to establish deep friendships, and to deal with the "culture shock" that new college life presents.

Smile! Know that you have done your part to successfully launch your child into this dynamic and exciting world of independence and new opportunity. Keep communication open and supportive, and watch the wonder and curiosity take hold in its own unique way inside your own young adult's development.

Freshman 10

Right now soon-to-be college freshman are already busy packing boxes and suitcases filled with new bedding and linens, personal laptops, boxes of Top Ramen, and their ATM card ready for their first year away at college.

When I work with high school seniors or college freshman we often talk about what this new life chapter will be about for them... sometimes they are crystal clear, while others are more skeptical or unsure as to what their future will bring.

Here are 10 things that I recommend all Freshman pack up in their trunks, suitcases or cardboard boxes -- 10 things that are sure to bring perspective, success, and feeling of empowerment & ownership:

1. Take some time to decide who you want to be in this next chapter-- Which traits or qualities do you want to bring along, and perhaps more importantly, which attributes do you want to leave behind. You choose! You get to decide!

2. Know why you are at college. Be clear about your own values and be ready to set your own priorities.

3. Establish the longer view early on -- Keep your eye on the end game, your end goal and use this benchmark to help guide your decisions.

4. Find a "symbol" that reminds you of who or what you want to be and why you are at college -- Place this symbol or image somewhere that you will see it every day -- on your laptop, on your mirror. Want to some day work and live in New York city? Find an image or word that represents that loftier goal.

5. Get connected to more than one group. Network. This is where you build connections, create your own unique support team; one that will get you through the bumpy parts on this new road.

6. Sample the buffet line-- Try new things! Take some interesting and curious classes! Hang out with a different group of people. Have an adventure or ten!

7. Don't be afraid to take some risks.

8. Learn how to recognize your own stress; how and where it shows up for you. Work to create some stress management techniques that keep you balanced and on your game -- Exercise, talk with friends, get outside, carve out alone time, journal, learn to say no... What else?

9. Balance the weight and responsibility that comes with the academic load with an attitude of lightness and fun. New experiences. New people. New chapter.

10. Call home at least once a week.

a BEER + a COCKTAIL NAPKIN = INSTANT GENIUS

The best new business ventures, latest fashion trend or bauble, environmentally smart new technology, cure for an obscure disease, global initiatives, and our own brilliant next steps are usually sloshed around at the neighborhood bar while hanging with buddies and throwing back a few beers.

So what if ....

Just what if ...

For the next three months, every time you venture out to meet the boys for a beer, or step up with the ladies and have a cocktail or two, you quietly commit to "holding court" for the first 30 minutes on a topic or question that might actually lead somewhere.

What's a problem that needs solving?

What is a question everyone is asking?

What would you do for FREE for a whole year?

What are you doing when you are at your best?

And then there it is! The potential unexpectedly explodes ... for your next invention, career track, partnership, travel plans, or whatever!

When you put together:

Community

Networking

Brainstorming

Intellectualizing

and Synergy (OK, and a few beers)

That can lead to:

Creativity

Ideas

Progress

Innovation

Partnerships

and the next GREAT widget of this decade!

Just a cocktail napkin, a cold one, and 30 minutes ..... and see where things GO!

Who wouldn't drink to that?!

Feeling down? Go see UP

There ain't no time for the summertime blues-- "Cross my heart."  

Grab a salty box of popcorn, some chewy Red Vines, your favorite drink, settle in to one of those cushy theatre chairs -- and let Ellie and "The Spirit of Adventure" sweep you away for an hour or two.  

You will not be sorry! Your imagination will stir, your heart will swell, your whole face will smile, and your sense of adventure will bust wide open.  It will be two hours where you will be absorbed with the childlike spirit of play and adventure and imagination-- and I think that is a really good thing ... especially in summer.

It seems that it is at about this time in the summer vacation that we all begin to get a little bit restless. Eager for a little more structure, eager to reunite with some old friends, and dare I say, even a bit eager for the challenge and familiar routine that a new school year brings.

Don't go there yet!  Breathe in!  Breath out!  Breathe in!  Breathe out....

There is such great value in down time -- time to restore our physical and mental health, and time for creativity and dreams to take hold.

And in this glorious summer space of limited responsibilities, warm summer breezes, sandy beach days, and carefree long afternoons that roll into evening .... I challenge you to make some promises for yourself in the coming year.

Promise yourself that you will:

Celebrate free time.

Schedule in creative, alone time this year.

Be selective as to how you invest in extra-curricular activities.

Connect with those people and activities that interest YOU.

Drop those commitments you are doing out of obligation. 

Colleges are looking to enroll "human beings" and they quickly see through those applications that are filled with a lot of contrived "human doings."  They want the real deal --  the real person -- They are looking for authentic, genuine college students who will find a true sense of belonging and feel at home on their campus.  They want the real YOU!

Free time, down time, play time, the "Spirit of Adventure" time is that necessary space that allows us to quietly discover our own interests, competencies, and talents. We can do this because we set the tempo, we set the calendar, and we can move at our own pace.

This is healthy stress management. 

This is balance.

We need sleep to rejuvenate our over-scheduled minds and bodies.

We need daydreams to tap our passion and set us on our own creative course.

We need time to think and reflect so we know who we are, and where we fit.

And sometimes we need a few cartoon animated characters like Ellie, a heart-warming story, and a sleepy dark theater to remind us to take our time -- to dream --  to explore --  and to unbury the child-like spirit of summer  inside each of us.

Go see UP!

P.S.  What's inside your "Adventure Book" ? 

 

BOXED IN? BUST OUT of the Conventional Job Search

In today's job search you need to shed the stiff expectations, the obvious search methods, and the conventional choices that lead to frustration, rather than reward. Work to discover and access your own unique skill set, your passion, and differentiate yourself from the millions of other recent college graduates on the job market hunt.

You need a change up!

Quit chasing titles, status, the big money-- as too often the external world and outward marketing ploys tend to focus our thinking and options on the material gain -- Quit chasing the text book job! Bust Out of the Boxed In cubicle chaos.

Something inside of us let's us know when we are not at our best.

Pay Attention!
Listen!

Or
You will lose your way!
You will lose your principles!
You will lose your genuine drive and passion!

Take some time to...
Be quiet
Reflect
Dream

Get Creative
Scheme
Get Busy
Take Action

What can you begin today that is a ....
A smart idea?
Innovative?
A new development?
A new solution to an old problem?
A quality investment of time, creativity, and your own resources?

Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind advocates that right brainers are now primed to rule this next business and career decade .... as we move from the Information-Technology Age, to what he has termed the Conceptual Age...  Pink feels that the keys to success in this next decade will rely on two broad skill sets:  Design and Empathy.  Adding aesthetic, creativity, color, and immagination to the automated, sterile, big box products coming out of the Tech era is going to be a skill set that is valued and lucrative in the next career market.  As well, possessing the emotional EQ to demonstrate empathy, tolerance, understanding and acceptance are going to be essential, required "people skills" as we work to build a more interactive global community.

Pink gives credence to the value that six sensibilities will bring to the future workplace: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning.  He believes these traits will be necessary to keep people passionate, motivated, innovative, and productive in this next generation. 

(For a faster read, try Pink's adult comic book:  The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You Will Ever Need.  He highlights the "6 Career Secrets No One Ever Told You."

With these ideas in mind, how can you radically change the direction in your job search today?

Remember you choose where you go from here. You can change direction, change your strategy, change your own location, change your focus any time you want.  And you can do this as many times as you want!

What is meaningful to you right now? 

What can make a positive difference in this world?

Are you a business guy? Start a company.  Become an entrepreneur.

An educator? Find a job or internship in a high-need neighborhood.  Volunteer at your public library, Boys or Girls Club, local elementary school.

Do you think like an engineer? Jump into the Green Revolution.  Design, retrofit, invent, train environmentally-sound operations and people.

Trained in health care or nursing? Care for our aging population.  Tap their energy, their wisdom, their creative reservoirs-- make their final life chapter one worth celebrating. Outward Bound for Seniors!

Do small things. 

Do big things. 

Find somebody or something to be successful for.... 

Ahh! Now that's the way to put personal passion and your unique skill set to work in the world!

You are Incredible; and the Earth is Hiring

Stop with the job search whining already.... Jobs DO exist for anyone with ambition, an entrepreneurial spirit, a creative eye, a sensibility toward "green commerce," and the guts to put themselves out there.

The GREEN revolution is happening-- so why not make your own place in its evolution?  Get creative!  Get bold! Get moving!  The questions that "green entrepreneurs" are asking themselves include: "What 's urgent? What's futuristic? What will the world need in the next 5-10 years?" These questions are your own wide open invitation on the road to becoming a successful, bold, green entrepreneur.

Here is how to find HOT, GREEN jobs in a COOL, BLUE economy:

1.  TURN THAT SHIRT INSIDE OUT - Don't be afraid to try your skills on in a new arena.

2.  BOXED IN? BUST OUT? - Carry an open mind with you everywhere you go.  Enjoy the idea of an unexpected job change, a new career path, open up to new possibilities, and think about how you might repackage your skills.

3.  NETWORK LIKE A CRAZY MAN - Let all kinds of people know you are looking. Everyone becomes a new opportunity or resource eager to be tapped.

Start by researching these potential environmental job clusters:  

• Renewable Energy (wind, solar, alternative fuels) 
• Building green, Building efficiently 
• The science and engineering behind biofuels, bio-genetics and green farming
• Transportation and alternative fuels
• Environmental law, compliance, and regulations
• Green function and design (clothing, food, shelter, everywhere)

This economy and environmental job market needs environmental engineers, chemical engineers, computer and electrical engineers.  We need construction management teams, architects, and builders to retrofit, design, and build resource-efficient buildings. We need creative  designers to add the aesthetic to the function of eco-building. We need farmers and scientists to genetically maintain the growth and integrity of whole, healthful foods. We need innovative and strategic land use city planners to help us think through ways to conserve and limit our use of space and resources.  Artists and creative spirits are needed to breathe life, passion, and color into this new way of being and thinking in the world. They are needed to soften the sharper edges of science and function necessary for this evolution to take hold and stick. Educators, trainers, and researchers who can reach and teach others about green innovation are in high demand in every career cluster.

So whether you specialize in practical skills, hards skills, soft skills--All skills are in great need as this green revolution takes the earth by storm. So... Get creative!  Get bold! Get moving! NOW!

So no more whining -- "YOU are incredible, and the EARTH  is hiring!"

Wipe Your FACE(BOOK) Clean & Create a Professional Online Presence

Head hunters, HR recruiters, and your future employers are "googling" you to gage whether you're the next hire for their company. So if you are serious about trying to market yourself, serious about trying to create a professional brand, eager to show off your strengths and your unique value proposition-- best be dumping Bambi's birthday bash party album on Facebook, best be deleting the four-letter sentiments on Twitter, and ditching your Hottie Horoscope news group. More and more employers and head hunters are using online media sources as an initial sorting tool for competing candidates, and as means to gather off-the-record data about the quality and professionalism of their next new hire.

So time to clean up your social media presence and re-brand your online persona as a professional who is mature, and ready to be serious in the real working world.

Here's how:

1. Join Linked In. -- "It's Facebook with suit"-- This is a professional networking site which holds credibility in the business world.

2. Complete your profile with as much detail and accuracy as possible. -- Use this space to "publish" your resume online. Take advantage of this free exposure.

3. Update your site regularly. Keep information current. Add articles, blogs, professional books, sites that you follow or recommend-- It shows you are current and educated. It shows that "You get it!"

4. Join other online professional groups related to your business niche.

5. Get yourself noticed. -- Set yourself apart from the pack. Comment and follow professional or unique blogs. Add YouTube videos to your site.

6. Start your own blog.-- Create a positive & professional business brand for yourself through your commentary on your own blog.

7. Clean up Facebook and Twitter.

"The majority of students coming out of college are essentially generic." Time magazine / April 2009

Time to create your own dynamic, unique professional BRAND-- and use the FREE, worldwide exposure that social media tools provide to set you apart and get you noticed!

Survival Gear 101: REAL RESILIENCE

"Whether you think you can, or you can't .... You are right."  

Henry Ford

How you handle setbacks is more important than how you handle success ... and skillfully handling adversity is the secret to success in college and beyond.  So don't worry .... Be Happy!

Don't we all wish it was that easy!  In a world that tends to value the quickest, the brightest the fastest, the first -- finding the "happy face" and "joy" part in this equation is tough!

I believe the best weapon of defense we have to fight this crazed "more is better, faster is the best" mentality that our society is swirling in, is a big dose of REAL RESILIENCE! Bounce-back strategies that allow us to realistically manage our own failures and shortcomings, as this is the key to healthy life balance and successful, positive experiences through high school, into college and beyond! 

Emotions like sadness, rejection, fear and loneliness are normal, healthy and helpful when based on real, authentic life experiences -- No one rushing in to "save us" to make it "all better." No trophy, no blue ribbon, no one diluting our painful experiences with false hopes or shallow compliments. These are real feelings that don't always feel so good!  These raw emotions sting, they burn, and they surface for a reason, and it is our job to sit up, pay attention, and determine how we want to respond.  

If we don't allow ourselves time to feel these unpleasant feelings before rushing back to the world of "being busy" and settling back in to our "happy place," how will we learn how to honestly deal with setbacks and disappointments, sadness and rejection, in a healthy, balanced manner?  

We need the time and attention to grow our sense of resiliency and learn how to genuinely bounce back from life's inevitable obstacles.

Got cut from the baseball team?  Tank on you first AP test? Come up 100 points short on your SAT score? Don't get into your first choice college?  Believe it or not ... this is life's very personal  invitation designed just for you... an invitation for valuable personal growth.  We cannot always control the external circumstances in our world, but we can control how we react to these situations.

6 BOUNCE BACK STRATEGIES:

1)  Set reasonable expectations  Learn to identify the positive aspects of an unexpected outcome -- "When life gives you lemons ..... " Establish a wider, more open window for personal achievement and success.

2)  Accurately evaluate the situation   "Is this really the only college in the world?"  "How does this AP score impact my long term future?" Get real!

3)  Surround yourself with positive, optimistic people  I am firm believer of the saying... "Whatever you go looking for, that is exactly what you will find."  So the search begins today... Look for others who are upbeat, positive and view the world with the glass brimming with opportunity!

4)  Focus on the areas you can control   No sense putting out a lot of effort or stress toward those circumstances you have not control over.  Re-energize your focus around your strengths, special talents, and passions  -- suddenly you have complete control.

5)  Let go of negative feelings or emotions   Resilient people can recognize which events will resolve themselves quickly vs. those twisted ones where you need to rationally talk yourself down off the rooftop.  Once you're safely back on the ground, take a minute to love ALL of yourself -- bumps, bruises and all your imperfections -- Celebrate being human!

6)   Gratitude every day   Be present, pay attention.  Fill each day with the personal mindset that gushes with grace, goodwill, and a deep appreciation of goodness for all that is right with the world.  Positive people easily bounce back from adverse situations and are adept at finding the silver lining in life's shadier moments. 

So sure, try it ... Don't worry....  Be Happy! And do so knowing the origin of your happiness is real, within your control, and 100% genuine!

   

GET NOTICED: FIVE MINDS FOR THE FUTURE

Teens entering college this year will be competing for jobs that do not even exist yet!  Declare a major? In what? In our rapidly changing world young adults need to be creative problem-solvers, ethical diplomats, and thoughtful communicators that bridge and connect global communities. 

There are, however, a few skills worth the price of college tuition, and these are outlined by the work of Howard Gardner, a Harvard graduate from the School of Education.  These skills have universal appeal, regardless of your major, career path, or area of interest.... Want to be top pick for the job?  Graduate near the top of your class? Want to interview well?  Get yourself noticed by growing and practicing these skills throughout college.  Check them out:

"Five Minds for the Future"

 The Creating Mind: We need to reward creativity! Being confidently skilled in the creative process, and having the ability to naturally think and problem-solve outside the box will be an asset for future inventors and entrepreneurs.  To be vulnerable, take risks, jump at new opportunities, and then rebound again and again, as you search for the latest cures, the smartest technology, and most successful peace-keeping strategies will be an asset that will set you a part and get you noticed in the interview or in the workplace.

The Respectful Mind:  As the world becomes more interconnected, those possessing a "respectful mind" will be able to welcome the growing exposure to new people all over the world with a greater level of enthusiasm and empathy.  You will have practiced the art of patience and  tolerance, and share this trust by forming meaningful links while giving others the benefit of the doubt.  These are the relationship-builders, and they will lead all of us forward into the unfamiliar with open, trusting arms.

The Ethical Mind: Though often hard to understand, this kind of intelligence views the world on a universal scale. The bigger issues are always at the forefront of your decision making and conflict resolution. If you have learned the ways of the ethical mind, you will demonstrate moral values by example, but will also work quietly to guide and influence others toward actions that are ethically responsible.

The Disciplined Mind:  This is the skill that will push those who seek to remain competitive and at the top of their game toward further excellence.  Continuous education is essential to achieve expert status in a rapidly-changing world.  Future businesses will value your ability to tackle new challenges with intellect, stamina, and commitment.

The Synthesizing Mind:  This is a mind that will have that "searchlight" intelligence which will  enable you to be able to look expansively, while holding tight to the details as they arrange these in new and useful ways. You can see the "big picture" and then are able to break down complex information into smaller parts and have it make sense for the rest of the world. These skills will be cherished in the workplace.

Now these are skills worth the investment! Greater reward, interest, and celebration on divergent thinking, positive, global communication, out of the box problem solving, ingenuity and innovation are the qualities that are going to land you that interview, that first high-powered job, and that first career that gets you jumping out of bed in the morning eager to start your day!

HOPE is on the way

HOPE is on the way....   and it has just arrived on the faces of so many Americans, both young and old.  I was witness to Obama's inauguration. I too marked history with two million others huddled and shivering, yet completely exuberant, bright-eyed, and hopeful on the Capitol mall on this extraordinary January day.  I believe that the spirit and momentum that comes with this new administration and bright, historic change, will be carried out by the work, the visions, the creativity, and the ambition of the young people represented in Washington DC that week.

Young people not afraid to dream big, and to reach for the impossible, and in those moments find what IS possible.  The young people willing to see the extraordinary in the ordinary every day people and day to day life... the ability to use their ingenuity and entrepreneurial sensibilities to create something out of nothing, as they foster and build respect and tolerance, empathy and  engagement, will and stamina.  These will be the ideals, the traits, the fuel that will propel this new America forward.  Hope is on the way -- Oh yes we can! Oh yes we did! Oh yes we will!

HOPE: Oh Yes We Can!

Teens to Twenties: Grab your compass and find your own True North

So UC and college apps are in, and high school juniors and seniors are well on their way to wrapping up the college admission process. Yet underneath the SAT, ACT scores, sweaty Club or Varsity soccer jerseys, 27 draft essays, transcripts of dual enrollment classes, and hours of contrived community service hours and non profit work you'll find that kid you once knew... the kid whose eyes held the gleam and the lively sparkle in his eye who was once in love with his world and all of the people in it. Sadly now, where mischief and light-heartedness once played, all you see are darks rings the color of number 2 pencil lead.  Where has the zest and excitement gone in our teenagers?  I think I know..... You see we all have this innate need to stay connected to our own true north and our own internal compass, and when that gets buried and lost under all of the pressures to succeed, to perform, to outscore, to achieve, to compete -- we lose our truest sense of self, and that bright light inside of each of us goes out.

Without some sense of inner passion, purpose, and direction passing life's next test is an unknown worth exploring. This test is not so visible, not so obvious, and is much harder to measure with percentage points or weighted GPA's. This is Life Skills 101 and it is the strongest indicator of lifelong success and sustained, authentic happiness.  College admissions counselors report that "Incoming freshman are entering their first year of college burned out and with no genuine desire to learn.  They arrive ill equipped with no sense of true, independent direction."

 We need to strike a balance -- Yes, if you are going to remain competitive with the big leagues and the ivy leagues, and remain in good standing with the big boys you do need a strong resume, and you need strong SAT scores,  but you also need a clear sense of self.  Do you know how to be the be resourceful and get extra help when you need it? Navigate independently? Bounce back from set backs and remain resilient and optimistic? Can you set priorities? Manage time and choose healthy new friends? Consult your intuitive creative sense of knowing? Which star are you following? Now these are real life skills worth investing in!

These are the truer tests and indicators of transitional success and health into college-- So grab your compass, set your direction, and let passion and your own "true North" lead you confidently on your way.

Twentysomething Career Crunch

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Twentysomething Career Crunch