"Happy New Year!!! Happy New Future!!!" That simple quote has such bearing on many students tonight. To a Freshman who has successfully done exceedingly well for the first semester, they must continue at their same disciplined pace in order to complete the year with results that are unsurpassed and will allow for a smooth transition into the Sophomore status. For those that were less fortunate, they either must consider shifting their gears into a more productive mode or determine if their major of choice is too difficult for them to complete degree requirements with a grade point average necessary to attain a position in the competitive workforce or to complete school due to academic probation. For the upcoming graduating senior, there are five months left in the safe haven of the university's campus or embrace, until he will steadily approach the abrupt ejection into the "real world", the work force, the life of being self-sufficient, and the completion of degree requirements have been met to ultimately toast the task of tedious life lessons and preparation for true adulthood. Tonight it is appropriate to raise our glasses high in sheer exaltation for these young adults, this is not only a happy new year of opportunities and chances, but potentially "Champagne cheers and caviar dreams" to the students that dutifully fulfilled their personal goals but also their academic goals. The roadmap to their succession planning is based on how well navigation is put into place. Are these students "GPSing" their lives and future? It would be apropos for any freshman at this juncture to begin communicating with their department chairperson regarding internships, letters of recommendation, class audits, current status or any chess move that will better jettison them into the running for winning results. Queries should be run frequently on any search engine for all forms of financial support, employment opportunity decision makers, current trends within the job market etc...Now it is time to develop your network, which a savvy student should've been cultivating since freshman year, and begin sending out introductory letters and resumes informing these "head honchos" of their current status and/or interest in offering their skill set to the allocated corporation or firm. The decision makers should know their name and how well they are performing for the duration of their stay at their university; very similar to potentially lucrative stock that one monitors with continuous observation because an interest has been sparked. No one has ever said that attending college is not as laborious as working a full-time job, and I would think that anything relative to one's future should require work, especially if you are expecting a bountiful end result.
Somewhere in the television simulcast of materialistic displays, students believe they will graduate, acquire a loft in Chelsea or a penthouse in the Upper East Side, vacation in the Hamptons, drive a CL-65 AMG and spend winter in South Beach while doing on-line stock trading while sunning by the infinity edge pool . Depending on your last name, what network your family is in, who you both are canoodling with, or just good ol' nepotism, these wonderful items will not be applicable to you. Wake up and inhale the java, you truly are living in the land of the jolly Green Giant, because the only way you'll have that type of "green" is to have a transcript that is blemish free like its on the strongest dose of Proactiv and a course of oral antibiotics, i.e. tetracycline, also the student must've followed the handbook of do's and don'ts, which includes a politically correct list of items that every student should implement to enhance their stay and performance at their university. These four years are broken down into semesters or hurdles, and if you are attempting to jump over each one of these with finesse like Flo-Jo, then I would seriously take heed to the fact that each semester is a closer step to the finality of being classified an undergraduate student closer to completion of course requirements.
"Happy New Year" simply means "Happy New Me" and what I am going to do to substantiate my endless happiness, performance, prosperity, and value. One that can withstand a minor four years to be diligent and focused equates the dedication of a champion. With this steadfast devotion, your future is secured. Please don't be fooled and think that you are the only one that may be practicing this mindset. Each individual in your class is a titan that you are competing with to gain not just equal footing, but the whole enchilada. Is there anything wrong with wanting it all? Should one feel shy about wanting to be the best? When you share your resume, transcript and addendum, is there anything wrong that you have plethora of accolades and endorsements? Hell no!!! This is exactly why parents have denied themselves something for your tuition, borrowed, or dipped into 401 K, so that you could be of an echelon higher than the hooligans that are as worthless as Amway stock. Life is competitive, and if your first semester has been stellar, then I would have the stick-to-itness to ensure myself and my family that not only will the bar be raised, but this will be a norm. Life is not like a box of chocolates, you know exactly what you're going to get if you put nothing into it, but should you lay a sturdy foundation, your apex will be like the pyramids of Giza, which have been standing for centuries... and you too can be a Wonder of the Ancient World.