At some point during today’s Danforth sit, I remembered the larger world — a dysfunctional world that has not experienced Danforth cookies — outside my everyday life, neatly bordered by a cemetery and river. I then recalled my dust-gathering college guide that once cited a student’s complaint about the apathy and self-absorption that pervades UR.

I can see why observers might condemn us, especially if they observe my heavily pre-med hall. I’m sure most of my friends could provide a better analysis of their NCAA tournament brackets than the primary election season. And a few weeks ago, a diversity forum reacted to students’ diversity apathy, which they exemplified with the low turnout at educational diversity events.
Despite our faults, I think there is an energy on campus that merely requires the right trigger to motivate. Recent challenges have certainly stirred commotion. Students communicated their dissatisfaction with the new meal plan system on Facebook and a petition, a protest that evolved into a Students’ Association memo that opposed its implementation. A barrage of philosophical discussion followed Gandhi’s awry comments and resignation, concluding when Gandhi explained himself to students at a special forum. Additionally, alternative plans for D-Day are in the making as students and alumni respond to the recent blow to this school’s long-held tradition.

It’s unfair to so drastically underline the student body’s spirit as apathetic — while we may not storm the streets in protest over the White House’s policies, we do react and respond to what we find significant, even if it is limited to campus matters.

The job competition for recent graduates is getting tougher and tougher… for some students. The students that think outside the box and discover financial jobs not in New York City, optics jobs not in Silicon Valley or medical schools not in Boston definitely have a step up on their competition.
There are so many occupations in the world these days that you cannot rely on the Career Center to help you find all of them. The Career Center does a great job of preparing you for the workforce, but you have to take responsibility and find that niche job that you enjoy. How can you do this?

• Use any conversation as a networking opportunity. Sitting on a plane, working out at the gym, waiting in line at the bar… these are all great times to strike up a conversation. You never know who knows who!
• Don’t cross off locations so quickly. Being in the Northeast often pigeon-holes recent graduates. Think about all of the other great cities in this country that have great companies to work for and go after it. Research job opportunities by location rather than a field of interest. You’ll be amazed at what you can find.
• If you think you are interested in the job, apply for it! If anything else, the interview is great practice.
• Tailor your resume for each job you apply for. Employers can recognize “generic” resumes very easily. Look at the job description and model your resume after it. Yes, it takes time, but this is your future — you want the best job you can get!
• Put “additional interests” on your resume. The more you can separate yourself from the competition, the better!
• Use alumni. Alumni love to hear from current students. Don’t be afraid to call/e-mail them. Remember, they went through the same rigorous curriculum that you went through. They appreciate what you’re going through.

After you find a job that you think would be a good fit for you, check in with the Career Center to see how they can help you. Have fun with the job search and relax. If you do your work, you will get a job.

I was 18 years old when I heard the best advice that I’ve ever heard. It was at a presentation by a famous aviator — General Chuck Yeager. A person in the audience asked Yeager how he was able to be a test pilot for so many different airplanes, a decorated fighter pilot and the first to break the sound barrier. After a few seconds of thinking, he said, “Early in life, I figured out that the difference between cockiness and confidence is… ability.”

As a student at UR, you may not recognize it, but the education you are receiving is not a generic set of rules and guidelines that will get you through life. The education you are receiving is teaching you the skills you need to solve any problem or issue that faces you in life. Any college or university curriculum can teach you physics, biology, English or statistics, but the unique curriculum in which you are taking part teaches you those lessons, as well as lessons in responsibility and dedication. The decision to choose these classes is not spoon fed to you like it is at most colleges. You have to take responsibility to fulfill your cluster and major requirements. That takes skill and dedication.

The quicker you recognize the “ability” that you are developing, the quicker you will develop the confidence that all alumni of UR have — the confidence that tells professors that you deserve an “A,” the confidence that tells employers that you deserve the job, the confidence that will get you very far in life.