Graduates: Work Hard; Play Harder

With graduation time upon us again, high school seniors across the country are preparing for the next steps in their young lives.

Many will be moving on to colleges and universities, some will be entering the military and some will head straight into the work force.

No matter what is next for these young men and women, all of them should heed the advice of others who went before them - and that is what is column is about.

First of all, please understand I'm not trying to act like an old coot telling young whippersnappers what to do and how to live. Everybody has got to blaze their own trail and make their own mistakes. I'm merely offering some nuggets of wisdom that I've learned over the years. Wisdom I wish I could've had when I graduated from high school.

Graduates will hear a lot of horror stories this year about how college and the real world are completely different from high school, and that life is hard and won't be as fun and carefree like high school was. While there is a lot of truth to those statements, graduates also need to realize that life has a lot of sweet moments as well.

I attended college at a large university, The Ohio State University, and now I'm a proud member of the American workforce. The thing is, I had just as much fun in college and have just as much fun now as I did when I was in high school, maybe even more.

Granted, college is much more demanding and difficult than high school and working for a living can become grueling and monotonous. Stress levels keep getting higher the older you get. Responsibilities grow and grow.

Nevertheless, it's been said, "Life is what you make of it." Sure, it sounds sappy, but speaking from personal experience, it's completely true.

Always live life to the fullest and pour your heart into everything you do. Love, laugh, dance and play like there's no tomorrow. Of course there must be some moderation, but the point is, don't hold back on anything, be passionate about everything you do, give life everything you've got and, most importantly, do what you love and love what you do.
Cliché? Yeah, maybe. Absolutely true nonetheless? Oh, hell yeah.

But, how do you find the balance between work and play? Whether you're in college or on the job, there's always times when you'll just want to goof off and have a little fun. For better or worse, I'm not one to tout "keeping your nose to the grindstone." I'll never advocate living in the library or the office. I wasn't the model student and I'm probably not the model employee. All I'm saying is to work hard and play even harder when you're done. A perfect example of how to do this is to emulate one of my college roommates.

While I was one who would party first and work second (or third, or fourth…), my friend was the exact opposite. No matter what was going on, he'd get all his work done first, then come join us for the revelry.

He never really missed out on anything, so he got all the great life experiences I did. Plus, as a result of his hard work, he got an excellent, high-paying job right out of college. I, on the other hand, skated by, got my diploma and suffered through a string of bad jobs until I was finally able to get my journalism career going - three years after I graduated.

Now, when I get together with my friend, we have the exact same stories of the good old days. It's like he was there by my side the entire time, when in actuality, he was excelling in school and having a blast at the same time.

Another thing you'll hear about life after high school is that you'll need to make new friends. People move apart and grow apart; it's a sad fact of life. Plus, new friends can open up different worlds and unique experiences, so it's always good to befriend someone new.

However, despite all of that, always remember your current friends. Your true friends, not those pseudo-friends so many of us had in high school. The ones who've been by your side for years, who stuck with you through thick and thin, and who will always be there for you. The ones that will be in your wedding parties and serve as your children's godparents.

I had the luxury of attending college with several of my close friends, so our friendship continued to grow and we remain friends to this day. I also had a few friends who moved far away, and while I only get to see them a couple times a year at best, the bond we shared and kept throughout the years allowed our friendship to remain strong.

So, meet and make new friends, but never forget the ones you have now.

Finally, don't forget who you are and where you came from. Be yourself. Always stand up for yourself. Fight for what you believe in. Be open-minded. Have respect for others and their beliefs.

There's so much more I could tell graduating seniors about college and the real world, but the best way to learn is through experience.

Graduates, just remember that no matter how dark things get, there's always a bright day ahead. Embrace the challenges put in front of you and use them to make yourself a stronger, better person. Most importantly, have fun in whatever you do and remember, "All work and no play makes Jack [or Jill] a dull boy [or girl]."

Good Luck!