What'll I Do?

Near the end of the semester my college students often start to question their grade, their major, their goals, and even the value of their current job. Are they in the right field? Will they get an "A," or at least a "B?" Should they switch majors? Will they find happiness in a job of their choosing after they graduate? We are all searching for answers to similar questions and no matter what the inquiry, it can occupy our thoughts 24/7.

Each class is a line on a transcript, allowing entry into the next class, the next semester, the next school. And each job is a line on a resume, preparing one for the next job, next line, next check. If we think of life this way the current position is more tolerable. You don't have to like a current position to accept the paycheck; and you don't have to like a class to complete the assignments and excel.

Conversely, with every class we take we foreclose other options that we could have taken. In economics its called an opportunity cost: what opportunities will I miss out on because I have made this choice, and how does that change the value of the two alternatives? Therefore, it is important to not only plan for the short-term, but also to keep in mind long-term goals. The clearest example is the desire to avoid early morning classes: if not taking those morning classes means you don't get the job you want or at the salary you want, then the cost of those extra minutes of sleep really increase. Shy away from choices that do not bring you closer to your ultimate objective, and outright avoid choices that move you farther away. Liking something is a choice we all make and is changeable from day to day. So if you find you are in a "not so positive state" today, like Stephen Colbert did in South Carolina for example, tomorrow could be better; next semester will be brighter, and the future is always promising.