Some Advice from Professor Manning

Today is our last official class meeting, and I sincerely hope you have all enjoyed your first year seminar at the University of Iowa. I know I have been inspired by your thoughts, observations and experiences. As I recollect back on the first day of class, I remember discussing adapting to college life, and I hope that all of you have grown and learned a lot over the past fifteen weeks - both in this class and personally. 

A lot of you didn't want to admit it, but do you remember how scared or nervous you were about your first year of College? Do you remember trying to fit in? Do you remember thinking that "this will be easy"? Do you remember how new everything seemed? But it all worked out, didn't it? This is supposed to happen. We learn through experiences - both good and bad. 

On this class blog, you have each shared your experiences, your wisdom, your discoveries and observations. I have enjoyed watching each of you flourish, and I sincerely wish the best for all of you. With that in mind, I wanted to offer you all some advice of my own:

1. Don't fear making mistakes, just strive to not repeat them. The same is true for being honest with yourself and others. If you don't know something, don't be afraid to say "I don't know." See it as an opportunity to seek the knowledge you lack, and then - you will know.

2. "Cry in the Dojo, laugh on the battlefield" is a saying I recently learned from a friend. What it means is to struggle and work hard in school, so that you can enjoy a successful career and rewarding life. The musicians version is "Suffer in the practice room, succeed on the stage." Yes, it is hard waking up early in the morning. Yes, reading and writing assignments can be a pain sometimes. Yes, turning down social opportunities in order to study makes you feel like you are "deprived" - but it will pay off.

3. Those who get the most out of college usually put the most into it. Consider getting an education a real privilege. Not everyone gets this opportunity, and some who do don't appreciate it. Maybe you won't get extra credit, and maybe this won't be "on the test", but make every effort to improve and educate yourself - regardless of requirements or grades.

4. Prioritize, organize, be proactive, have a plan, but be flexible. 

• Prioritize: You have too much that you have to do, and not enough time to do it. You all do. So keep in mind what is most important to you and do those things first. Then, do as much of the remainder as you can, and do it as well as you can. 
• Organize: You've got a lot on your plate, and you can't keep it all in your head. Get organized. Use a planner, calender, reminder, alarm clocks - whatever it takes to make one of the most exciting times of your life successful. 
• Have a plan: Establish goals for yourself, both short-term and long-term, personal and professional. Keep them in mind when you make decisions and determine what steps you need to take to get to your goals. If life throws you a surprise, be flexible and adapt. Have a back-up plan, other options, and a resilient attitude.

5. When you are trying to improve yourself (your study habits, your health, your relationships, your career) and something doesn't go well, avoid labeling that "failure". Consider it as a discovery of an approach that didn't work, and try another solution.

6. Connect. Continue to seek connections between what you do know and what you have yet to learn. Thinking metaphorically, or using analogies, can really help you understand new concepts. Don't forget to connect to people - they are pretty helpful too!

7. Be curious. When you encounter something you don't have the answer to, or you wonder about, look it up. You will be amazed where curiosity brings you.

8. Talk less, listen more.

9. Write it down! In this age of all things digital, nothing beats writing down lists, reminders, and notes.

10. Sometimes, when a door closes, a window opens. This means that even the darkest, most troublesome parts of your life do not last. Something always happens to change things and fate supplies a new opportunity. Take it! So if you don't win that scholarship, or if you get fired from a job, or a relationship ends, life will go on. Things do get better.