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I Need Your Assistance - QUICK! What Post-Graduation Advice Would You Give Graduating Seniors?

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Dinger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:23 AM
Original message
I Need Your Assistance - QUICK! What Post-Graduation Advice Would You Give Graduating Seniors?
I just got a request from the seniors in my school for post-graduation advice. It is a challenge, because they will be back in one hour. So far, this is what I have (Please make suggestions I may have forgotten):

Dear Seniors:

My advice for you after graduation is:

1. Vote, and vote often.
2. Do something positive every single day.
3. In your search for a career, choose something you love, something you’d do for free
if you could.
4. Volunteer, it will always be appreciated and needed.
5. Choose your friends wisely.
6. When times get tough, never give up, never.
7. Be involved in your child’s education.
8. Remember the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
9. . . .
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bdamomma Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:24 AM
Response to Original message
1. Be aware of what is going on in your own backyard.
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sampsonblk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:24 AM
Response to Original message
2. Don't join the military for extra cash
Not even the Guard or Reserves
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slackmaster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:25 AM
Response to Original message
3. "Plastics"
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Journeyman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:31 AM
Response to Reply #3
15. "Well that sounds like a half-baked idea" . . .
"Oh, no, sir -- it's completely baked."
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Marnieworld Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:25 AM
Response to Original message
4. Wear sunscreen
http://www.commonplacebook.com/journal/inspiration/the_famous_wear.shtm

The Famous "Wear Sunscreen" Commencement Address
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

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rox63 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:25 AM
Response to Original message
5. Until we have sane people in the White House
avoid military recruiters.
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missingpeace Donating Member (50 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:25 AM
Response to Original message
6. Stay away from republicans...
They cause brain rot.
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madame defarge Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:27 AM
Response to Original message
7. My suggestions...
- Question everything. Never trust just one source for information.

- Be kind to everyone. Treat everyone the same, no matter what position in life they have.

- Work for peace. Do everything you can, each day, to bring peace to the world.
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Dinger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:31 AM
Response to Reply #7
16. I'm Going To Use The Peace Suggestion
It's anti-war without being "risky."
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noamnety Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:40 AM
Response to Reply #7
25. not convinced on that second point
The whole "colorblind" thing is always a contentious point. Treat everyone with respect, yes, but don't forget the history that put them in the position they're in.

"Treat everyone the same" ignores that history, as though everyone comes to you with a clean slate and equivalent circumstances. If a person steals ten dollars worth of food from a grocery store, do you really want to treat them the same, whether they have nothing and are trying to feed a hungry child, vs. whether they are a Paris Hilton type stealing for kicks?
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Dinger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:28 AM
Response to Original message
8. (My Name Will Be Published With The Advice)
Forgot to mention that. Believe me, I'd love to put down what you all have suggested, but I don't dare. My break here lasts only 25 more minutes, so actually, there is less time.
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Buzz Clik Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:28 AM
Response to Original message
9. Replace the toilet paper, you selfish bastards!
Edited on Wed May-09-07 10:29 AM by Buzz Clik
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Tyler Durden Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:28 AM
Response to Original message
10. Invest in canned goods and shotgun shells.
Edited on Wed May-09-07 10:30 AM by Tyler Durden



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emlev Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:29 AM
Response to Original message
11. Be part of the solution.
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dkofos Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:29 AM
Response to Original message
12. Be your own BOSS
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noamnety Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:29 AM
Response to Original message
13. I don't like #7
because it comes with the assumption that having children is the default setting for people.

And I'd add:

Fight for the underdog.
People give your life value. Material things don't.
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Dinger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:34 AM
Response to Reply #13
19. Self-Delete (Dupe)
Edited on Wed May-09-07 10:35 AM by Dinger
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Dinger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:34 AM
Response to Reply #13
20. Point Well Taken. (nt)
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OlderButWiser Donating Member (389 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:45 AM
Response to Reply #13
26. It is the default setting
isn't it?
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emlev Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:30 AM
Response to Original message
14. Balance.
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Warpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:33 AM
Response to Original message
17. Learn plumbing
Oh, there's still a market out there for liberal arts educated middle management, but those jobs are vulnerable to offshoring along with every other office job.

People will always need plumbers.
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noamnety Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 11:12 AM
Response to Reply #17
32. at least until we all switch to composting toilets. :) (nt)
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BOSSHOG Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:33 AM
Response to Original message
18. OPEN A ROTH IRA
as soon as you have a job and contribute to it regularly. ALWAYS pay yourself first.
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Horse with no Name Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:37 AM
Response to Original message
21. This is lovely
1. Trust your instincts. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't...fun, tempting..maybe, but not right.
2. Remember your manners. It doesn't cost you anything but it speaks volumes about who you are. Having class starts with this.
3. Never let possessions "own" you. It's just stuff. The most valuable things in life--friends, respect, love, knowledge--don't cost money. Hokey, but true.
4. Nurture your friendships. The investment you make in true friends will pay huge dividends your entire life--remember, you can't make an old friend.
5. Keep your hands clean. This is meant both literally and figuratively...it will save you a lot of regrets later.
6. Believe in yourself. Yeah this is another hokey one, but you do happen to the only you in existence, and you're also the only person in the world who can truly hold you back in life. Think about it.
7. Be grateful. Don't waste all of your todays in anticipation of some grand tomorrow. Now is all we've got. Live in it.
8. Treat others the way you want to be treated. The point is, just because you're smarter or richer or prettier than someone else doesn't mean you're better. It just means you're more blessed.
9. Always keep playing. Who says adults have to give up toys? Keep the little kid inside you alive..it keeps your imagination primed. Silly can be good.
10. No matter what, you will always be loved.


Okay, I stole this off of a card I gave to my daughter. Good luck with your project.
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Dinger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:38 AM
Response to Reply #21
22. Excellent! (nt)
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Gidney N Cloyd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:39 AM
Response to Original message
23. Some Vonnegut for you:
"To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it." - Kurt Vonnegut
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dave_p Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:39 AM
Response to Original message
24. Don't imagine there are easy answers
... and never trust anyone else who offers them. Nothing's simple. It's a complex world. Appreciate it for what it is.
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Tierra_y_Libertad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:46 AM
Response to Original message
27. Never play poker with a guy named "Doc".
Don't fuck with the Mafia or the IRS.

Never marry a person with more problems than you have.

Joining the military to "get an education" is like getting an enema to stimulate your brain.
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Wickerman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:47 AM
Response to Original message
28. Stay off my lawn, ya damn kids!
Er, no, actually, I'd go with Be True to Yourself. It's trite and worn but if you evaluate the big decisions and even the daily little ones as honestly as possible you shouldn't go wrong.

You have an excellent list and the kids will be glad to hear from you.

:applause:
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libnnc Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:49 AM
Response to Original message
29. Don't be in a hurry
If you're not sure what you want to do for the rest of your life, don't freak out. You're on a journey. Enjoy it.
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stray cat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:51 AM
Response to Original message
30. Never give in to a self-righteous feeling of entitlement
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Divernan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 10:57 AM
Response to Original message
31. If you never make any mistakes, you're not living up to your abilities.
Also, have at least one adventure a year - even if all you can afford is to try something or someplace new for a single day.
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Missy Vixen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 11:20 AM
Response to Original message
33. If you go to college, finish
Education is the most valuable thing you can ever attain, and one of the few things in life that appreciates as you add to it.

Julie

p.s. Tell them "good luck", and that they will be shaping our nation for good or for ill. I hope they choose the good.
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TahitiNut Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed May-09-07 11:26 AM
Response to Original message
34. My advice today is the same as 30 years ago ...
Go placidly amidst the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof. Avoid quiet and passive persons, unless you are in need of sleep. Rotate your tires. Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself; and heed well their advice, even though they be turkeys. Know what to kiss - and when. Consider that two wrongs never make a right, but that three do. Wherever possible, put people on hold. Be comforted, that in the face of all irridity and disillusionment, and despite the changing fortunes of time, there is always a big future in computer maintenance.

Remember the Pueblo. Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle, and mutilate. Know yourself. If you need help, call the FBI. Exercise caution in your daily affairs, especially with those persons closest to you... That lemon on your left, for instance. Be assured that a walk through the seas of most souls would scarcely get your feet wet. Fall not in love, therefore, it will stick to your face. Gracefully surrender the things of youth: the birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan - and let not the sands of time get in your lunch. Hire people with hooks. For a good time, call 606-4311, ask for Ken. Take heart in the deepening gloom that your dog is finally getting enough cheese. And reflect that whatever misfortune may be your lot, it could only be worse in Milwaukee.

Therefore, make peace with your god, whatever you perceive him to be: hairy thunderer or cosmic muffin. With all its hopes, dreams, promises, and urban renewal, the world continues to deteriorate. GIVE UP!

You are a fluke of the universe. You have no right to be here. Whether you can hear it or not, The universe is laughing behind your back.

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