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Explore Trips | Fun, Affordable Group Travel | EF Ultimate Break

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We have trips around the world-from London and Paris to Tokyo and Sydney. Perfect for vacation, backpacking across Europe (but not really backpacking), and more.

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Madam Superintendent, Principal Celebrezzi, School Board Members, distinguished guests, parents, families and friends, and...most importantly...Moscow [Idaho] High School graduates of the Class of 2006:

I am here tonight to talk to you one last time before I retire from the teaching business and you graduates go off into real life to do great things. History is made up of cycles. You are finishing one, and about to start another.

Sadly, the answer to the last question was, No". Look around you and try to memorize the faces of your friends and classmates, because you will never see all of them in one place again after tonight. Whether you are off to a job, to college, or to the military as I was when I graduated, this ceremony really does mark a major turning point in your life.

As you know, most old people want to tell teenagers how to live their lives. And although I know that you are really tired of hearing us do it, since I am an "old guy" I guess I am obligated to take a last shot at it.

Your parents may seem like really boring people to you. They weren't always that way. Once upon a time they were young and carefree and did all kinds of crazy and interesting things. Then they had you! And their lives changed. They got boring by having to be responsible for you, and getting real jobs, and buying and paying for a house for you to live in, and paying doctor's bills, and for minivans and music lessons, and fielder's mitts, and books, and food, and clothing, and all of the other stuff that parents have to do and get and pay for their kids.

Your parents and I got to be old people by figuring out how to survive through teenage years, and all of us remember that being a teenager is a tough racket. I know that it isn't always apparent to you, and sometimes you would rather we just left you alone, but we care about you a lot. We agonize about you making mistakes that will affect your entire lives, but we know that you our have to make many of them... that we can't save you from most of the stupid things we did ourselves. Because that is the way you learn... just like we did... from your mistakes.

We try to give you good advice, and to be there for you when you need help, or someone to talk to. And since I have a captive graduating class audience, I will try to give you some advice to get you successfully through the rest of your teenage years and on into your adult lives. Here are seven tips for surviving your teenage years, and enjoying the rest of your lives.

Adults keep telling you to enjoy your teenage years because they are the best years of your life, but they lie. ." Besides, being old certainly beats the alternative!

. I know that many of you are headed off to college and are heavily motivated by grades. Here is a horrible secret... "A"s don't mean a whole lot if you don't learn or retain anything . If your parents send you off with money in your pocket to get an education, you need to bring something home from the store. The ability to reason, the skill of synthesizing ideas and facts into a coherent theory or writing of your own... the ability to think beyond what's in a textbook, and to see the connections of dry facts to the world around you... is much more important than a 4.0 average in the grand scheme of things. The world is littered with bright people who are failures because the only thing they were good at was school, and after they graduated with straight "A's" they flunked real life.

. A good friend is someone that you can call at 2:30 in the morning, when you are miserable, broke and lonely, and even after five years they will still be glad to hear from you. A good friend is someone who, when you call them and tell you that you are in deep trouble, doesn't ask, "Is there any way I can help", but simply, "Where are you?" If you are a good friend, you will find that other people will be one to you. If you put their welfare above your own, they will do the same for you. It's a good thing.

. All of you were blessed with brains, skill and a drive to succeed, or you would not be sitting here tonight in those caps and gowns. You don't simply own those traits... you also owe those things to your parents, your community, and to your country. You are obligated to use those gifts for something other than your own aggrandizement and enrichment. In his song, , Ben Harper sings, "Make sure the fortune that you seek/is the fortune that you need." Diamonds on the Inside Here's a secret: I have known some rich people in my life. Most rich people have a lot of stuff, but they are not happy. The people I know who are really happy are those who have followed their own muse, and lived their lives in service to others. Do something useful with your lives. Make a difference in other peoples' lives. Leave something behind when you leave this earth, not just because you should, but because it is the surest way of living a good and fulfilling life, and it will make you happy.

Being a public school teacher is not the most highly paid job in the world, especially in Idaho. It does, however, have its compensations. When I look out at you, and I remember the good times I have had with you in class, and how you have impressed me, and how you have awed me with your insights and your laughter, and how much you all mean to me, I don't mind getting old teaching you so much! One of the things that I am proudest of in my teaching career is that many of my former students have gone on to Honors programs at colleges and universities and nominated me to Who's Who Amongst American Teachers

The preamble to the Constitution says "Life, Liberty and the of Happiness". There are no guarantees in life: many people spend their lives pursuing happiness, and never achieve it. Find a way to do work that makes you happy. One of my favorite Robert Frost poems says: pursuit "Two paths diverged in a wood/ I took the one less traveled by/And that has made all the difference".

Take chances, stand for something, be a good friend and give something back. You will be "taking the road less traveled by", and that will make all the difference. And you will make us all proud.

I am almost done. As many of you know, I am a published poet as well as a teacher and a warrior. Here is one last Mr. Kaag poem to speed you on your way from graduation and into the rest of your lives. It is titled simply, Seniors

Being your teacher has been a privilege.

Thank you.

© 2006, Glenn B. Knight
http://4merMarine.com/NAPS/graduates.html

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Advice to Graduating High School Seniors

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Madam Superintendent, Principal Celebrezzi, School Board Members, distinguished guests, parents, families and friends, and...most importantly...Moscow [Idaho] High School graduates of the Class of 2006: I am here tonight to talk to you one last time before I retire from the teaching business and you graduates go off into real life to do great things.

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Perhaps you were class president in high school. Or perhaps you were a member of the honor society. You could have graduated in the top percentile of your graduating class; perhaps you were even valedictorian. Maybe your were in the honors program or the International Baccalaureate program. Actually, it doesn't really matter what you did in high school as you make the transition to college. High school success (or lack of it) doesn't automatically apply to college.

You start college with a clean academic slate, along with a lot of independence and a myriad of critical decisions as you begin the transition into adulthood. The decisions that you make and the actions you take during this first year of college will have a major impact on the rest of your college experience.

But wait! This article is not meant to scare you or take away any of the joy, excitement, and anticipation you feel about going to college. Quite the opposite.

This article is all about the things you need to do to not only survive your first year of college, but to thrive in college. And many of the tools, skills, and habits that you can develop (if you take this article to heart) can not only be used to help you succeed in college, but in your future career as well.

The first few weeks on campus are extremely critical for all new students. It is during this time that you make critical decisions that will have an effect on the rest of your life. Some of these 25 tips are critical during your first weeks, while the others are meant for longer-term guidance and survival.

Whatever you do, be sure to be yourself and try to enjoy your college experience as much as possible. Expect to feel some stress and homesickness, but don't let these issues wear you down.

25 Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive in Your Freshman Year

1. Go to all orientations.
Do you really need to go on yet another campus tour? Yes. The faster you learn your way around campus - and around all the red tape - the more at ease you'll feel, and the better prepared you'll be when issues arise.

2. Get to know your roommate and others in your residence hall.
The people you live with, most of whom are going through similar experiences and emotions, are your main safety net - not only this year, but for all your years. You may change roommates after the first semester or you may stay roommates for all four years - just take the time to get to know your fellow first-year students.

3. Get organized.
In high school, the teachers tended to lead you through all of your homework and due dates. In college, the professors post the assignments - often for the entire semester - and expect you to be prepared. Buy an organizer, use an app, or get a big wall calendar - whatever it takes for you to know when assignments are due.

4. Find the ideal place for you to study.
It may be your dorm room or a cozy corner of the library, but find a place that works best for you to get your work done - while avoiding as many distractions as possible.

5. Go to class.
Obvious, right? Maybe, but sleeping in and skipping that 8 am class will be tempting at times. Avoid the temptation. Besides learning the material by attending classes, you'll also receive vital information from the professors about what to expect on tests, changes in due dates, etc.

6. Become an expert on course requirements and due dates.
Professors spend hours and hours preparing course syllabi and calendars so that you will know exactly what is expected of you - and when. One of the lamest excuses a student can give a professor: "I didn't know it was due today."

7.Meet with your professors.
Speaking as a professor, I can assure you there are only upsides to getting to know your professors, especially if later in the semester you run into some snags. Professors schedule office hours for the sole purpose of meeting with students - take advantage of that time.

8.Get to know your academic adviser.
This is the person who will help you with course conflicts, adding or dropping courses, scheduling of classes for future semesters, deciding on majors and minors. This person is a key resource for you - and should be the person you turn to with any academic issues or conflicts. And don't be afraid of requesting another adviser if you don't click with the one first assigned to you.

9.Seek a balance.
College life is a mixture of social and academic happenings. Don't tip the balance too far in either direction. One of my favorite former students always used to say her motto was to "study hard so she could play hard."

10.Get involved on campus.
A big problem for a lot of new students is a combination of homesickness and a feeling of not quite belonging. A solution? Consider joining a select group (and be careful not to go overboard) - student organizations, clubs, sororities or fraternities, or sports teams. You'll make new friends, learn new skills, and feel more connected to your school.

11. Strive for good grades.
Another obvious one here, right? Remember the words of the opening paragraph; while good grades could have come naturally to you in high school, you will have to earn them in college - and that means setting some goals for yourself and then making sure you work as hard as you can to achieve them.

12. Take advantage of the study resources on campus.
Just about all colleges have learning labs and tutors available. If you're having some troubles, these resources are another tool available to you. Another idea: form study groups.

13. Make time for you.
Be sure you set aside some time for activities that help you relax and take the stress out of your day or week. Whether it's yoga, watching your favorite television shows, jogging, or writing in a journal, be good to yourself. And give your brain a break.

14. Don't feel pressured to make a hasty decision about a career or a major.
It doesn't matter if it seems as though everyone else seems to know what they're doing with their lives - believe me, they don't - college is the time for you to really discover who you are, what you enjoy doing, what you're good at, and what you want to be. It's not a race; take your time and enjoy exploring your options.

15. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions.
Don't look to place the blame on others for your mistakes; own up to them and move on. Being an adult means taking responsibility for everything that happens to you.

16. Make connections with students in your classes.
One of my best students said his technique in the first week of classes was to meet at least one new person in each of his classes. It expanded his network of friends - and was a crucial resource at times when he had to miss a class.

17. Find the Career Services office.
Regardless of whether you are entering college as undeclared or have your entire future mapped out, seek out the wonderful professionals in your college's career services office and get started on planning, preparing, and acting on your future.

18. Don't procrastinate; prioritize your life.
It may have been easy in high school to wait until the last minute to complete an assignment and still get a good grade, but that kind of stuff will not work for you in college. Give yourself deadlines - and stick to them.

19. Stay healthy/eat right.
A lot of problems first-year students face can be traced back to an illness that kept them away from classes for an extended period of time that led to a downward spiraling effect. Get enough sleep, take your vitamins, and eat right. If you haven't heard the jokes about college food, you soon will. And without mom or dad there to serve you a balanced meal, you may be tempted to go for those extra fries or cookies. Stay healthy and avoid the dreaded extra "Freshman 15" pounds by sticking to a balanced diet.

20. Learn to cope with homesickness.
It's only natural that there will be times when you miss your family, even if you were one of those kids who couldn't wait to get away. Find a way to deal with those feelings, such as making a phone call or sending some email home.

21. Stay on campus as much as possible.
Whether it's homesickness, a job, or a boyfriend or girlfriend from home, try not to leave campus too soon or too often. The more time you spend on getting to know the campus and your new friends (and your new schedule), the more you'll feel at home at school. And why not take advantage of all the cultural and social events that happen on campus?

22. Seek professional help when you need it.
Most colleges have health and counseling centers. If you're sick or feeling isolated or depressed, please take advantage of the many services these offices provide students. You don't have to face these issues by yourself.

23. Keep track of your money.
If you've never had to create a budget, now is the time to do so. Find ways to stretch your money - and as best you can, avoid all those credit card solicitations you'll soon be receiving. The average credit card debt of college grads is staggering.

24. Don't cut corners.
College is all about learning. If you procrastinate and cram, you may still do well on tests, but you'll learn very little. Even worse, don't cheat on term papers or tests.

25. Be prepared to feel overwhelmed.
There's a lot going in your life right now. Expect to have moments where it seems a bit too much. As one student says, be prepared to feel completely unprepared. The trick is knowing that you're not the only one feeling that way.

Final Words of Advice for First-Year College Students

You've done all the prep work - you've gotten good grades in high school, scored well in the world of standardized testing, and been accepted into the college you want to attend - so enjoy all your hard work while laying the groundwork for a successful college career. Don't be a statistic; be determined to make it through your freshman year - and beyond. Take advantage of your network of new friends and professors, have fun while learning as much as you can, and get the most out of your college experience.

Know that when the time comes to begin looking for your first internship or full-time job, LiveCareer has your resume and cover letter writing needs covered. Use our resume builder and cover letter builder to craft top-notch documents in no time at all, or work from our resume examples and cover letter examples, all of which are organized by job title and industry.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of EmpoweringSites.com. He is also founder of MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. Dr. Hansen is also a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Finally, Dr. Hansen is also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years. Visit his personal Website or reach him by email at randall(at)quintcareers.com. Check out Dr. Hansen on GooglePlus.

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25 Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your Freshman Year | LiveCareer

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Perhaps you were class president in high school. Or perhaps you were a member of the honor society. You could have graduated in the top percentile of your graduating class; perhaps you were even valedictorian. Maybe your were in the honors program or the International Baccalaureate program.

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Goal 3- Travel to different places

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Goal 1- Graduate high school

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Goal 2- Be successful at FAU