Some Things You Should Know...

Hello friends...

A little less than a year ago, I graduated from Morehouse College. I was remarking to a friend last night while sitting in his very nice condo on Lenox Rd. in Atlanta, that the time has gone by swiftly.

The swift time from May to May got me to thinking about how quickly it will keep moving. In four short, quick years, I'll be back at Morehouse for my 5 year reunion. Man...that's quick.

I'd like to share a few things that I learned with the new college grads out there...

1) Have a plan.
When I graduated from College, I did not have a plan. I was so very fixated on graduating, that I let the little things like employment, kind of fall to the wayside. Oh sure, I applied to jobs, a number of jobs. But I wasn't serious about it. For instance, I was offered a job on Capitol Hill and I turned it down, to later take a job in Atlanta for pretty much the same amount of money. A stupid move on my part. I would have had two or three raises by now had I taken that job on the Hill. A lesson learned, a lesson learned. But seriously, please have a plan. Because after a few weeks, that diploma, for all it's greatness and for all its worth, starts winking back at you, waiting for you to make the next move.

2) Don't take the first job offered to you.
I was so ecstatic over being offered a job, that I took the first one offered to me. Now, I am grateful for the job that I have with Clear Channel, but I should've waited it out and possibly leveraged them for more money. Remember, shop around.

3) Don't worry about keeping up with the Joneses.
Look, the guys who were pre-med or pre-law, are going to do their thing regardless of what you do. Remember that. You are not in competition with your friends or classmates from school. Do the best that you can in your chosen field and let the chips fall.

4. Don't be averse to moving.
If you've been someplace for a great period of time, you feel comfortable there. Leaving is a scary prospect, I know. But don't be afraid to do it. It could be surprisingly liberating. Moving to a new place and having new experiences could be exactly what you need to help you figure out who and what it is that you want to be.

5. Enjoy every moment of your senior week and graduation.
Please enjoy and take advantage of every second of your senior week. You'll only do it once, if you do it right, and before you know it, you look up Senior Week, and it's Friday and your parents just came to town. Soak it up, let the experience go through you, and party harder than you ever have. Chances are very good that you will ever have this little level of responsibility again in your life. I enjoyed every second of my senior week, after living through and participating in a month's worth prior to my own. And nothing was sweeter than graduation day, nothing. If you read this and you're currently attending Morehouse or plan to attend Morehouse College one day, remember that there of the three greatest moments in a Morehouse man's life, other than his wedding day and the birth of his first child (son), is the day that he graduates from Morehouse. The air is sweeter, the grass is greener, the water is colder, and nowhere is the love warmer.

6. "It ain't bragging, if you can do it." - Dizzy Dean

Now on a personal note...My baby sister is graduating from Brown University Memorial Day weekend, and I wanted to send her a special shout out.

Calvin, Raj and JC, I'm sorry for the delay.

I'm Joe and this is how I see it.