Blueprint Education

Does Procrastination Produce Great Work?

2015-06-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

I believe most people think (including myself for a period of time)that waiting to the last minute will help you to turn on the creative juices and produce amazing work. As a former college student with one bachelor's and two master's degrees, procrastination just adds on unnecessary stress any way you try to validate it. You don't believe me? check out this article.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/06/15/data-mining-finds-lessons-about-procrastination-in-college?src=usn_tw

College Is For You: How Bad Do You Want It? "A Man With No Plan Is Destined To Fail"

2015-01-24T21:03:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce that I'm answering the prayers of many parents to write a book specifically for high school students who want to attend college. "College Is For You: How Bad Do You Want It?" is speaking directly to the student and encouraging them to do the work necessary to be successful. This book is a very easy read and it gets right to the point. I have below a chapter out of my book that discusses the importance of having a plan for college.

College has to be at the forefront of your mind in all things that you do. Ask yourself, what am I doing to advance my goals towards being accepted into college? Many times, we want to do something, but have no direction because we don't establish goals. Do you have written goals for your life? What are your goals? Where does college fare on your list of goals? If you don't have any written goals this is what I would like for you to do. Put this book down for a second and think about what it is that you want to do in the next year? Starting from today, where do you see yourself in the next 365 days it takes for the earth to revolve around the sun? If I were you, I would get a notebook or if you are a really fresh at goal-setting find a piece of paper and write your goals down in numerical order like this:

Kareem’s Goals

1. Get my driver's license
2. Pass all of my courses with a B or better
3. Teach myself how to play guitar
4. Get accepted into five schools
5. Land a job

From the example above, you can see that writing out your goals will make you take the time to think about what you really want. Even as I was writing down these goals I had to think about them because I was going back to my teenage years thinking about the goals that I wrote down. Writing down your goals is the easy part; the hardest part is following up with what you wrote. Everyday is an opportunity to work towards the goals that you have written down by performing the necessary steps to complete them. For example, in order to get a driver's license in New York State, an individual would have to pay and take a written exam, pay and take the five-hour course and then pay for the driving exam to earn an official license. This process will require time to study for the exam, practice driving and money. If the desire is there then you will do what is necessary to get your license. The same is true for all of the goals used in the example and also for your own personal goals.

To summarize, goal setting is a part of life. You can't know where you want to go or know what you want to do without thinking about creating a road map to follow. If you don’t do anything else in this book, make sure to think and establish goals for you to follow. I’ve provided you with some questions to help guide your thinking. Remember, a person with no plan is bound to run in circles and drive him or herself into insanity.

My Goals

What do I want to achieve? How long will it take?

What steps do I have to take to achieve my goals?

What are some of the obstacles I may face in achieving my goals?

Who can I get to assist me with achieving my goals?

Why are these goals important to me?

If you like this, there will be more to come when the book is released. Stay tuned!!

A Must Read The Gentleman's Guide" 30 Things Every 21st Century Gentleman Should Know and Do

2014-10-12T18:39:00.001-07:00

"The Gentleman's Guide" 30 Things Every 21st Century Gentleman Should Know and Do is available now for purchase!! If you have a young man in your life you really need to get this book for them. Buy your copy today, don't wait!!

Every young man should have this book in their library.

https://www.createspace.com/4985331

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1501074725/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Preparing For College Takes Planning

2014-08-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

Courtesy: galleryhip.com

Why do people go to college? For an education right?!?! Yes, but just getting an education isn't good enough anymore. There was a time when earning a college degree could put you above the rest of the competitors when looking for a job, but now that's not necessarily the case anymore. Some questions you have to answer now are what makes you different than the rest? What are my skill sets? How can I be an asset? Your degree is in Communications? I'm not knocking Communication majors because I was a Communications major, but it wasn't enough so I decided to go back to school for a Master's degree in Human Development and it helped with my career search, but even with that I wanted more.

Fortunately, with every degree I've obtained (1 bachelor's degree and 2 master's degrees) I was blessed to earn more during my career in education. Yes, education because it not only paid the bills, but I really enjoyed it and still do to this day. I've found ways to input my skills from communications into my primary career in education, which became a cool combo to standout from the pack. It wasn't until I received my first master's degree that I learned how to incorporate all of my skills and market myself as a valuable employee. Also, along the way I decided to become an entrepreneur because of a class I took that really got me super excited to disrupt the world of education. I saw a need from my day job that was outside of their scope and decided to fill it with my experience and expertise with college planning, which is how I created Blueprint Educational Consulting Services LLC. So, why am I telling you all of this?!?!

Have a plan for college. Try to expose yourself to as much as you can so you can explore different career paths. As you can see, I had to do some exploration to finally find my way, however I wish I would have gotten serious when I was still getting a free education.

There are plenty of self-help books that can guide you down your path of destiny, however I'm going to make it easy for you. If you are a parent reading this I'm going to help you with talking to your teenager about future planning.

1. Exposure can change your life

I was talking with a colleague not too long ago about college tours and how they can be a life-changing experience for youth because they can experience it in real time. It doesn't matter how much you talk about college or say how important it is to get a great job, youth have to see it for themselves. They have to be able to walk the campus, eat the food, talk with current students, sit in the classroom and visualize themselves being on the campus. Think about it, watching a baseball game on television is okay, but it doesn't compare to actually being at the game, eating peanuts, $5 hot dogs and doing the wave.

2. Make the connection

When youth visit colleges they will start to make the connection that in order for them to attend the school their visiting (assuming they like it) they will begin to think about what it is they would have to do to get accepted. At this point, mom or dad if you are reading this, you have leverage to start the conversation with them. Ask them what they liked or didn't like about the college. Ask your child if they could see themselves attending the school. Parents you do not have to bring up the cost as of yet because you just want to get an idea of what it is your child is looking for in a college.

3. Apply it

Now, you have to apply their interest to what they are doing in school. For example, if your child wants to attend a big school like Ohio State University or Michigan University you can use their interest to drive their desire to do well. When I was in high school, I wanted to play division one football which required a certain GPA and SAT score to play according to the National Clearing House. Not to mention, I had to have the skill to play division one football, which I didn't because I ended up playing division three football and that was a great time until I got hurt in training camp. Another topic, another time. I digress, however I couldn't meet my desire to play (skill or no skill) if I didn't have the grades or scores to play so this became my motive for doing well in school.

Parents, talking with your kids about college is a great start if it's something they want to pursue, however it's very effective to let them see it for themselves to spark interest and plenty of conversation.

Taking on New Clients for 2014-2015 School Year

2014-07-15T19:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Summer!!

I'm happy to say to that I will be taking on a new class of seniors for the upcoming school year who are looking for a coach, an advocate and a mentor who can help plan for life after high school. This past year I was able to help three high school seniors and even a first-year college student who graduated high school a year early to get accepted and choose the school of their choice. All of the students I worked with this year are going to four-year institutions with scholarship money and I am very proud of them!! It was a long school year, however my Blueprint Graduates stuck it out to the end with me and are now moving into an exciting time in their lives.

So, what can Blueprint offer you?

We offer:

FREE Pre-Consultation
1:1 Coaching
High School Succession Planning
Scholarship Search
Personal Essay Writing

Our services are very affordable and our aim is to provide excellent customer service!!

For your FREE consultation give us a call at 585-205-8095 or email us at blueprintecs@gmail.com

Visit our website at www.blueprintecs.com

Saving For College: You Have Options

2014-01-27T18:24:00.000-08:00

College Tuition True Cost- (ScholarshipExperts.Com)

2014-01-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

College Tuition: List Price vs. Actual Tuition Cost from Scholarship Experts

Financial Aid 2014

2014-01-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

Courtesy: www.greybooks.com

It's that time of year again!!

I have below the website for financial aid and to obtain your pin number.

https://fafsa.ed.gov/

https://pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp

For any questions please contact me at 585-205-8095 or blueprintecs@gmail.com

Blueprint: Student Testimony

2013-12-20T11:24:00.001-08:00

KnowHow2GO: Does Your Child Know What it Takes?

2013-12-11T05:43:00.001-08:00

Does your child know what it takes to be successful in college? Have them take this quiz to test their understanding. This can be a great way to get the conversation started.

KnowHow2GO

KnowHow2GO: 4 Steps To College

2013-12-11T05:39:00.001-08:00

This link is a great resource for students who are thinking about going to college.

KnowHow2GO

Parents: Recommendations for Seniors During The Holiday Breaks

2013-11-22T05:46:00.001-08:00

Picture courtesy of www.flightunit.com

Parents, if your high school senior hasn't started to complete their college applications by now, it's crunch time. My recommendation for seniors is to have their college applications completed and submitted by Thanksgiving break. Once the application is submitted, there is still more work to do with applying for scholarships, financial aid, and finishing strong academically. If your child hasn't signed up to take their college entrance exam, it's also late in the ball game and another way to increase stress levels with the other amount of work seniors have to do to prepare for college. To decrease your stress levels parents, I have below some resources to consider:

www.collegeboard.org (SAT Signup)
www.commonapp.org (College Applications)
www.suny.edu (New York State)
www.connecttocollege.net (HBCU's)

For those of you who prefer to connect with a live person, you can contact me at blueprintecs@gmail.com and we can setup a time to talk more in detail about college application assistance.

K.J. Hayes

Teenage Brains Are Like Soft, Impressionable Play-Doh | Smart News

2013-10-30T06:14:00.001-07:00

Teenage Brains Are Like Soft, Impressionable Play-Doh | Smart News

The College Man-Book: Chapter Sample

2013-10-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Currently, I am writing a book about my journey through college with the intention of providing young men of color with a blueprint for what to expect when they get there. I believe that it's important to provide the youth of today a real account for what college life is like and how to overcome the challenge of being on their own.

Here is a draft of a chapter I'm working on:

You Are What You Eat

If you’ve ever been to Ponderosa or Golden Corral, the college dining hall is its equivalent. When I say it’s all you can eat, it’s all you can eat. The college that I attended had one of the best dining halls in the state at the time. They had almost every type of food and drink you could think of and a plethora of desserts to go with it. I mean it was like being in food heaven with no holds bar. It was amazing that I had to wait 18 years to experience this type of lifestyle. With that said, if I could do it all over again, I would have changed my approach to having Sunday dinners almost everyday of the week.

Gentlemen, the first time you set foot on a college campus you may have the same experience I did when the gates of heaven opened up and poured me out a blessing I didn’t have room enough to receive. Your eyes will easily become bigger than your stomachs and before you know it, you’ve demolished two plates of food and contemplating on fixing another plate for the road. My fraternity brother used to tell me to chew my food because it would be gone in 60 seconds. I used to inhale my food because I grew up with three brothers and in order to get seconds you had to eat fast. My fraternity brother would also tell me that it was okay to chew my food because no one was coming to take my plate. Prophyte, I just want to say thank you for helping me to learn how to chew my food and enjoy it again.

Moving forward, for those of you who are more particular about eating food from strangers and used to mom or grandma’s cooking, I would suggest you have them cook up some meals and freeze them so you can ration the portions through out the semester when you are feeling a little homesick. If you prefer to cook your meals (Raman Noodles do not count as cooking), most dormitories have a little kitchenette and you just have to bring your own pots and pans that are approved by the resident assistant or hall director for use.

Now, if you are dependent upon your meal plan like I was in college, I have some jewels for you that I’ve learned the hard way from running out of my meal plan dollars a month before the semester was over...

DoSomething.org Scholarships

2013-09-22T09:32:00.003-07:00

Picture Courtesy of alertmagazine.org

If you have a student who is a high school senior they should already be looking for scholarships and grants to help fund their education. I've been working with students this month searching for scholarships and grants and came across Dosomething.org. Check out http://www.dosomething.org/scholarships for information about available scholarships on their website.

First Day of School

2013-09-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school for many students and marks another school year of classes, tests and for graduating seniors, making plans for college. It is ideal for students to start planning in middle school by beginning to think about what they want to do with their lives, however from experience, some students are now just starting to think about their futures. Parents if you have one of these students, here are some tips for your high school senior to read:

1. Talk with your guidance counselor

Find out where you stand with the amount of credits needed to graduate. Have a sit-down with your guidance counselor and let them know what your plans are for post-graduation if you haven't done so already.

2. Setup a calendar for the year

Create a calendar to mark important dates for testing, college visitations, application deadlines and etc.

3. Sign up for the SAT/ACT

If your child hasn't taken the SAT/ACT they should sign up for it in the fall because colleges are going to look at their test scores as a requirement for admission.

4. College applications

Start researching colleges that peak your interest and narrow your choices between 5-7 schools. After you have chosen the schools you want to attend, you can start applying to those schools through the college's website or on www.commonapp.org.

5. Essay

Please do not wait until the last minute to begin writing your essay because this the part of the application is where the admission counselors get to hear your voice. A couple of generic essay topics to think about are, "discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you" or "evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you."

Parents, these tips should help get your soon-to-be high school graduate started with taking the necessary action steps towards college. Also, a great site that I use with my clients is wwww.collegeboard.org and it is a good place to get started.

The College Entrepreneur

2013-08-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

If you are a former college student you understand what this title means. If you are a new student, you will come to understand the importance of becoming a college entrepreneur. Most college students are darn near broke when they are in school. Between taking classes, studying and keeping up with movie night the life of the college student is pretty busy. Most new college students have to learn how to prioritize, which is another blog for another time. Furthermore, from experience, there are opportunities to make some extra cash especially with the explosion of the internet, which was just starting to make headway in the early 2000's when I attended undergrad. With that said, here are some non-internet online marketing (they can be profitable depending on how much time you put in it and most times they require a financial investment) ways you can make some extra cash by starting your own business:

1. Proof-Read Essays

If you have an eye for detail this may be a chance to make a couple of extra bucks proof-reading your classmates essays.

2. Barber/Hair Dresser

If you are a licensed barber or hairdresser you can make money making sure your classmates look good for the weekend or for that job interview. I've seen some of my classmates make between $75-$100 a day on the weekends.

3. Making The Band

When I was in college I formed a band and we traveled all around the state performing at various colleges and clubs. In one year we grossed approximately $8,000.

4. Event Staffing

Whenever there are concerts or events where famous people are coming on campus this may be an opportunity to get hired to not only make some extra cash, but you get to enjoy the show for free. Is that a good deal or is that a GOOD deal?

5. Designing Flyers/Posters

If you have a gift for creating amazing posters you will be a hot commodity because with every event there has to be something to let people know that it exist. So, what better way to communicate to the masses than by creating a flyer/poster and getting paid for it.

You may have different talents than mentioned above, however I would like to encourage you to use your talents and start a business to put some extra cash in your pocket. Cheers.

Kareem Hayes is the Owner/CEO of Blueprint Educational Consulting Services LLC. For more information about Blueprint you can visit the website at www.blueprintecs.com.

Pay for College - How to Spot College Scholarship Scams

2013-08-15T07:14:00.001-07:00

Pay for College - How to Spot College Scholarship Scams

New York Times Article: Following The Money

2013-08-04T07:05:00.001-07:00

This is a great article for parents to think about the type of investment they are making for college-bound students. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/education/edlife/calculating-the-net-worth-of-a-college-degree.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0

Transitioning From High School To College

2013-07-10T05:31:00.000-07:00

At this point in time, most high school seniors should be getting ready for the next step in their academic careers. I'm sure that students are ready to be out with the old and in with the new. High school is so yesterday for new high school graduates and they are itching for the opportunity of freedom from parents, house responsibilities and yes, curfew. Most of the students I've worked with initially don't even have a clue about college-life besides watching movies like "Stomp The Yard" and the classic slapstick comedy "Animal House". Movies can make college appear to be an oasis for fun,booze and casual relations. This is sort of true for those who want to "live that life", but in all actuality college is hard work. The taste for freedom is a gift and a curse because now new college students are responsible for his/her's own actions. When I'm meeting with students I tell them that their number one priority in school is to earn an education and graduate with plans in place for the future. I can't tell you how many students I've worked with who have no clue for why they are even going to college. Some students can't even articulate the benefits of having a college education. If you are a parent reading this and this sounds like your child here are a few questions you may want to consider asking your new high school graduate:

Do You Have Goals Written Down?

Whenever I ask this question students give me the blank stare because most of them have not even thought about writing goals for the future. Quite frankly, some students have never been taught how to write goals and the significance of having them. For example, I did a workshop about goal-setting and I asked students if they have written goals and 2 out-of-the 20 students raised their hands. So, I followed up by asking them how would they know what they want to do with their lives if they do not have any goals written down? Most of them told me that they have their goals in their head and I answered by shaking my head sideways like my father did when he was disappointed. It is imperative for students to have written goals to guide them and keep them on track. Students with written goals have something to visually work towards and are more motivated than students who do not have written goals. Parents, before your child leaves for college they should have a written plan.

What Are The Benefits of a College Education?

Students should know the benefits of having a college education because it will help to determine if college is really for them. Every student isn't going to choose to attend college and that is fine because there are other options for students to consider. There are vocational schools for students who want to learn a trade, the military where they can serve their country and receive funding from the government for their education or enter into the labor market after graduation. In today's labor market, bachelor degrees are becoming as common as having a high school diploma, which is making the labor market more competitive. This is why students should have a clue for why they want to earn a degree and what they intend to do with it. As stated above, having goals will help with this process. Theoretically, this plan works, however I know from experience with students and even myself majors change in college due to exposure to other majors or the major a student thought he/she wanted is not what it is all cracked up to be.

Do You Have a Clue About The Culture of School?

Students should have researched the school he/she is attending and have a basic understanding for the layout of the land. Students who are attending college for the first time have to adapt to the culture of the school and understand the inner-workings. When I went to college, I played football so that afforded me two extra weeks of school for two-a-day practices which were brutal in the August sun. Even though I spent most of that time on the practice field, I had time to learn the landscape of campus and get a clue of college culture. Before I started two-a-days, I had the experience of going on college visits to schools that were similar to where I ultimately chose to attend to get a taste of the college culture. There's something miraculous that happens when students go on a college tour because it becomes real that they can attend that school or not. It can solidify a student's decision on whether they want to attend the school based on student demographics, the size of the campus and even the food. Being an athlete myself, making sure the campus had great food was very important because my thought was that I'm going to be eating it everyday so it helps to like the food.

Parents, your high school graduate should take this time very seriously because it is a pivotal moment in their lives. High school graduates should have an understanding of their school's culture because it is vital to their success. Not knowing the culture is like playing basketball and not having a clue about the rules of the game and expecting to win. Furthermore, high school graduates should have goals written down on paper because they should have a projected path and outcome for their lives. Not having a plan is like driving without a GPS system and expecting to get where you want to be. Lastly, students should have an idea for how their path is going to benefit their growth and impact their future. High school graduates who understand the benefits of earning a post-secondary education will strive to work hard because in the end, it will pay off.

Study documents admissions trends over last 10 years | Inside Higher Ed

2013-06-20T07:11:00.001-07:00

Study documents admissions trends over last 10 years | Inside Higher Ed

Parent Guide: Beginning Stages For College Preparation

2013-06-19T07:02:00.002-07:00

Preparing for college is a huge investment for families. The average cost for a 4-year institution according to the National Center for Education Statistics was $21,657 for the 2010-2011 school year. For the 1980-1981 school year, the average 4-year college cost was $8,756 which is a $12,901 difference. As you can see, over the last two decades the price of education has risen significantly and is more of a reason for parents to plan accordingly.

If you are a parent who wants to be proactive, I have six steps you can consider as you begin to prepare.

1. Motivation

Your child should be motivated to attend college because without this intrinsic value you will be fighting an uphill battle to convince your child why college is important for their future. Have a "heart-to-heart" talk with your child to see what motivates them and use this as leverage when talking about the benefits of a post-secondary education.

2. Writing Goals

Students should have goals because it will serve as a guide for what they want to accomplish academically and in life. A simple exercise is to have students write down five goals they want to accomplish for the upcoming school year and to monitor them throughout the year. Eventually, as your child continues to set goals and accomplish them this exercise will become a habit that can be used for the rest of their lives.

3. Relationship With The Guidance Counselor

The guidance counselor is the official gatekeeper who is responsible for making sure academically students are on track to graduate and have a succession plan. It is imperative and worth your while to establish a relationship with the counselor and for your child to do the same. Having a relationship with the counselor will ensure accountability on all sides and as the parent you will be up-to-date with your child's academic progress towards graduation.

4. Exposure

This is going to require an investment(yes, gas and maybe toll booths)on your part as the parent to expose your child to college life by attending college visits. The best start if you are on a budget is to begin with the colleges you may have in the area to start this process. College visits are important because it places the student in the space and they can get a glimpse for what college life is like. I've had students make their final decisions after being admitted based off of a college visit because they could physically see themselves attending the school and fitting in.

5. Start Saving Your Money (If you haven't already started)

Getting ready for college can be compared to buying a house because the bank wants to see that you have enough money to cover the closing cost and can handle the mortgage. Before you get to the lawyer's office to even close the deal, the bank wants to see that you've paid all of your bills on time, currently employed and etc. The point I'm making is that the planning and preparation it takes to purchase a home, the same planning and preparation should be used in preparing for college.

6. Academic Performance

Colleges are looking at your child's grades from the time they step foot in 9th grade until the time they graduate. When working with students, I express to them that "EVERY YEAR COUNTS" and there is no time nor space to become complacent. The competition for college admittance is fierce because the competition is now global. There are students who are competing from countries around the world for a spot in schools like Yale University, Howard University, and even state schools in New York like SUNY Brockport because of their affordability.

The road to college and investing in your child's future started yesterday. There's an old quote by Benjamin Franklin that says, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail" and I hope that these steps will assist you with your college planning process.

Personal Branding: Being The Best You

2013-06-01T19:39:00.001-07:00

There's an old adage that says, "your first impression is a lasting one" and in today's world this saying is still very relevant. We are in an age where image is almost everything because the media bombards us with them every single day. Individuals are making judgements based off of images and the same goes for people. I've facilitated workshops on personal branding for high school and college students and to their amazement, they begin to realize that they are a brand. The quintessential question I ask everyone who participates in this workshop is, "What do people think or say about you"? Personal branding is very important and I have a few suggestions for putting your best foot forward in any situation.

Give Them Something To See

Your appearance is the first thing most people see before you have the ability to open your mouth and utter a word to present yourself. Not only are people looking at what you have on, they are also looking at your body language and how you present yourself. Growing up in a baptist church has taught me a lot about presentation. My mother would make sure that we had on slacks, a shirt and tie (clip on during my early elementary years). My hair had to be combed and look neat because back in the 80's kids sported a box cut that has ironically made its way back into popular culture. When I was in church, I had to conduct myself like a young man meaning that I had to have good posture, speak like I had some sense and "fix my face" which meant that I had to smile. I didn't understand then like most children that my mother was teaching me a lesson about appearance and giving off a positive perception.

Your Brand is Everything

What people say about you is how you are going to be perceived. The current popular culture teaches kids to be who they want to be and not care what others think of them. This generation also doesn't like for people to judge them, but the reality is that everyone is being judged on a daily basis. When I facilitate my workshop on personal branding I tell the students to give people something good to say about you. It is ok to be yourself, but is being yourself hurting your brand? For example, if you are a person who likes to tell jokes, but usually those jokes are derogatory and of poor taste, what does this say about the person? It is ok to tell jokes and be funny, but at what expense? Your brand is your character, values and work ethic. It is demonstrated through your actions both verbally and non-verbally on a daily basis. You are what you repeatedly do!

Don't Be Afraid To Reinvent Yourself

Some of us have gotten off to a rough start based on personal and professional choices we made. But it is not too late to reinvent your brand! One of the things I tell students who are planning to attend college is that it is an opportunity to reinvent themselves. To give themselves the opportunity to explore their true passions as their is a wellness of experiences to shape their identity. I have colleagues who have done a complete 180 degree turn from the person I knew in high school to who they have become now. Putting yourself in a different yet positive environment can help you to reinvent your brand because you have the ability to start fresh. Expose yourself to a variety of cultural experiences, trying new dining venues, volunteer to do community service or even mentoring. Motivate yourself to try things that you otherwise might have dismissed doing before. This will break you out of the habit of being complacent and push you to new heights on your self-discovery journey. This is not only true for the college experience, but also for starting a new job or even enlisting into the military. Nine times out of ten, people will not know you or even your past so use this to your advantage. This is just the beginning of a new chapter in your life!

As you have read, personal branding is very important because you have to establish it in order to be marketable for your career, education and other growth opportunities. My father use to say when I was a little boy that it is not just about what you know, but who you know. Your reputation is very important and can be the difference between success and failure.

Making Family and Graduate School Work

2013-05-17T11:10:00.002-07:00

If you are currently in graduate school and have a family, God bless you with all sincerity because it is not easy. I'm currently in graduate school as a fairly new husband (haven't hit the four-year mark yet) and new dad. I have my own business that I work during the day, sometimes evenings and attend school usually two nights a week for three hours. Sometimes it is nearly impossible to juggle my schedule and make sure that family is first and spend quality time with them. For anyone who has a family and is considering going back to school (make the degree count)you should really do some self-reflecting and weigh your options. I have some suggestions that have worked with my family that I am going to share. My suggestions may not exactly fit all family situations, but I'm sure you can use a few of them.

1. Communication, Communication, Communication

Please talk about this adventure you are going to partake in with your family and layout all of the details because it is going to be important to have them by your side. This is going to involve a possibly serious dialogue between spouses/significant others because now this is something else besides the daily hustle that is taking time away from the home. If you are married, you MUST have your significant other's support and understanding because if not, getting your degree is going to be a dreadful process. From experience, my wife and I conversed about how we were going to plan our schedules because at the time we were newly weds and she was expecting. Not only that, but she was in school as well for her graduate degree so you can see how hectic our schedules could potentially be. We have made it a habit to converse daily about our schedules and to keep the lines of communication open.

2. Schedule

As I eluded to above, it is important to create a family schedule since time is going to be limited. I would suggest putting together a schedule that allows time for your family and studying because this is something that I struggle(d) with. Any free time that you have will become study time so it's important to set a consistent study time that is okay with your significant other. Determining the location is also important to scheduling because where you study can have an impact on your family. For example, I like to study away from home to avoid distraction and curb the attempt to be lazy so I go to the local coffee shop with free wifi or to the school because it's not far from where I live. In order for this to work, my wife and I have to be on the same page with our schedules to make sure neither of us get overwhelmed because it can happen very easily with no set schedule. However, sometimes "life happens" and schedules have to be changed so both parties have to have some form of flexibility.

3. Flexibility

There will be instances when you will have to take some extra time to study and this is where things can get a little tricky because now you are taking more time away from your family. Again, communication is the key and talking about the schedule on a daily basis helps to let your significant other know if you have to adjust your plans. For someone like me who has their own business, schedules can change quite a bit due to meetings, workshops, attending networking events and on top of all of this two classes. However, I have to be cognizant of what my spouse has to do and also keep in mind how much time I' m spending at home. There has to be some sort of understanding that schedules will change and again it is going to take communication and a schedule.

To conclude, going back to graduate school isn't something that should be considered haphazardly and must involve communication, the aligning of schedules and flexibility with the approval of the other spouse. Your success depends on your family backing you up 100%.

3 Lessons From Doing Yard Work

2013-05-09T11:23:00.001-07:00

It’s been a while since I've published a post due to the amount of great work that has come through Blueprint in "making the world better through education". The past four months have truly been a blessing and it will only get better with time. Additionally, this time has also given me more material to write for this blog. I was helping my father some time ago with raking leaves and it brought me back to some childhood memories. I haven't done any yard work in almost half a decade due to living on my own and renting. I was telling my father that I kind of forgot how to strategically rake leaves and how long it can take to complete the job. As my muscle memory came back to me I started thinking about the life skills and lessons that are taught in doing yard work.

The first lesson in doing yard work is to come up with a strategy.

When my brother and I were kids we would strategize on how we were going to cut the grass, trim the hedges and clean up the access grass. We put together a system that would allow us to be sufficient and efficient. I've taken this approach in almost everything I do in life before taking on a huge task. Doing yard work has taught me to break a big job into little manageable jobs so I won't get overwhelmed and frustrated. It is always good to have a plan and/or strategy because it will allow for you to be more efficient and time-effective.

The second lesson is to have a positive attitude.

Now, I am being completely honest with telling you that I hated doing yard work as a kid, especially when it was 70+ degrees outside. When my father said he wanted the yard done before he got home from work he was not playing. My father grew up working for most of his life and he believed in taking care of responsibilities. Yard work was my brother and I responsibility because to him it was our contribution to the household. However, back to the point of this lesson, my brother and I had the attitude that even though we didn't like doing yard work we were going to make the best of it. One of the things that I did was cut the yard in different patterns to kill the monotony of doing the same thing over-and-over again. Also, I would start in a different section than I did the previous time or even switch jobs with my brother. Not only did we switch jobs and tweaked our strategy, we always had the music blasting. There's something about "good" music that changes the atmosphere. We didn't always start with a good attitude, but when we completed the job we were happy to be finished. The point I'm making is to do things that will make you feel better along the way and to keep the end in mind. Eric Thomas says, “That if you are going to go through something, you might as well finish and reap the reward”.

The third lesson is, "There's nothing better than a job well done and done right".

This particular lesson is something that my father was very big on because he believed in doing things right and with integrity. I can remember my father telling me to do the dishes over because one of the plates was still dirty or cleaning the walls again because I missed a spot. When we had to do yard work my father was a like a Drill Sargent watching our every move and making us go back over spots that we missed on the grass or making sure that we cleaned up ALL the grass from the sidewalk. He is the reason why I'm so particular about cleaning up because my dad made us pick up every little piece of loose grass when were done mowing the lawn. Literally, I thought this man was crazy and just wanted to make my brother and I lives miserable, but he taught us a valuable lesson about a job well done. My father double-checked everything that we did and we had to make sure it was done right the first time because he will make us do it again. I take this lesson with me everywhere that I go especially when working with students because most of them have the tendency to rush through a project or a paper just to get it done instead of focusing on the details. It is very important to put in the work and try your best to do a great job because it is a reflection of who you are as an individual.

Yard work is not just hard work, but it is a lesson of life. In hindsight you are learning how to strategize, develop a positive attitude and ensuring that you give your all in everything that you do, in turn a job well-done!

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