I have been thinking lately about all the high school students across the globe who are preparing to graduate May and June.   For many, the college years will be their next life chapter.  I have some advice for now and over the next few years……

1.  Choose your college based on what you need, not what their reputation is.  Can they help you achieve your dreams?  Will they help you achieve your dreams?

2.  Do some soul searching for what you want to achieve in your life.  Make sure you are following YOUR dreams.

3.  Spend some time thinking about what you love to do.  What major do you need to do that for a living?

4.  Choose your college and major based on #2 and #3.

5.  Choose your major as quickly as possible.  Taking a bunch of classes to figure it out can delay your graduation and cost more money.

6.  Decide if student loans are the best way to go.  You could be paying them off for a really long time.  Like 20 years!  You have to pay interest on those loans.

7.  Taking student loans is necessarily bad, betting on yourself can be a good bet.  Just balance out what you want to do with what it will cost to get there.

8.  Surround yourself with people who will support you in achieving your goals.

9.  Be a support to others trying to achieve their goals.

10.  Be an active learner.  Participate in class discussions.  Be someone your team can count on for group projects.

11.  Build your resume with your actions in college.

12.  Find a mentor.  This should be someone who can help you improve, not just someone you like.  Your mentor should be someone who pushes you to achieve your goals.  If you are not sure who to ask, talk to your faculty member about what your goals are.  They may have someone they can recommend.

13.  Be focused on your career.  College can and should be fun, but in the end it is about being employable.  Don’t forget that.

15.  If the door of opportunity cracks open, kick it wide open and step through the door.  Seriously.  Too many people let great opportunities pass them by because they were afraid of the unknown.  Think about someone who you think has lead an interesting life.  Do you think they let opportunities pass by?  NOPE!

16.  Dream every day.  Never let your mind stop thinking about all the wonderful possibilities life has for you.  Lets change that.  Don’t just dream.  DREAM BIG!

17.  Make friends with the quiet people too.  You will find that they may be the most interesting people you know.  They just don’t feel the need to tell everyone how great they are.

18.  Get to know the people teaching your classes.  This is important in all learning modalities.  You should know the teachers and coaches in your online classes as well.  More importantly, you want them to know you.

19.  Network, Network, Network.  You never know when you will need someone to help you out.

20.  When you finally get your degree and your first “real” job, take the time to say thank you to the people who helped you get there.  Not a text or an email.   Make it meaningful.  They cared enough to help you achieve your goals, the least you can do is let them know they matter to you.