Carla Aaron-Lopez

Have you thought seriously about life after college? I mean, really folks, what are we going to do when we leave this institution? We have said that we’re going to go to grad school, or that we want to jump straight into our field of work.

But have any of us done anything to progress towards these goals?

I don’t know what is going to happen in my future, but whatever it is, it will be big.

Graduation may seem far away, but think; it really isn’t that far away. It’s time to prepare now.

Have you thought about actually pursuing internships instead of just talking about them? Have you talked to your advisor about getting help with finding jobs in your field?

Have you gotten to that point where you really understand how studying hard now will help you later on in life?

I’m not asking these questions to make you feel bad about yourself, or to make you feel as if you’re going nowhere.

I just know from personal experience that these are questions constantly asked by parents, advisors, teachers and total strangers, wondering if we have a plan to make sure we get what we want out of life.

It is ultimately something to think about, considering we pay our university to teach us these things.

This is a great institution with many offerings and guides to life. We may not think so at the moment, but life is great here at old N.C.C.U.

Yes, the food in the cafeteria is bad. Yes, the dormitories we live in are deteriorating. And yes, our library is not much. But these are things to show that there is something beyond N.C.C.U., beyond Durham and beyond North Carolina.

Life exists outside of the walls of this institution waiting for us to embrace it.

Now, listen to me, we’re never going to embrace life staying close-minded and negative. Being open to new things will bring new opportunities that may help us progress into our different fields of work.

Running on a positive track allows our minds to stay clear and focused. Isn’t that what we want to be — focused?

With the combination of tackling our heavy course loads, new experiences and healthy psyches, we get chances of a lifetime that would be the same as going to schools like Duke and Carolina.

This is our only chance to explore new horizons without paying difficult prices, and also to plan what we really want to do.

Let our dreams and goals turn into long-term plans. Then we should all be on top of the world.

I know what I am going to do for the rest of my life. The question here is: Do you?