aka… What they don’t Teach You in College

1. aka… What they don’t Teach You in College presented by Mike Hrostoski

2. Be present • Unplug from the world • Take notes on sheet provided • Ask questions any time • Challenge me on anything

3. I am not a professional public speaker. • I’m not wealthy, famous, or wildly successful. • I don’t have all the answers in life. • I’m a student, just like you. SituAsian

4. Early in life, I got hooked on personal development. “Why not make a better me?” • Read dozens of books on the subject • Full fellowship, 3.9 GPA, MBA class president, four case competitions, won $50,000 at Wake Forest, picked to teach BA499. • I get awesome service everywhere, I always find a parking spot, things always go my way. • I have a fantastic life. • Because I choose to.

5. 10 Attitudes for Fantastic Living • How to Get an A in Every Class • 25 Quick Tips for Awesomeness

6. If you’re not negotiating, you’re leaving money on the table. • Cable bill, phone bill, insurance, travel, credit card rates, a car, a job offer. Anything really. • Talk to the decision maker and be creative. • YOUR business is valuable. • Grades are negotiable. • What’s the worst that could happen? “Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.” - John F. Kennedy

7. Most unhappy people today simply do not ask for what they want • Boss, parents, significant other, teammates • It is up to you and only you to make sure that your needs are taken care of. • Accept rejection as part of life. Keep moving and keep asking. • Balance this with a spirit of giving. Or else you’ll just turn into a big jerk. “What I point out to people is that it's silly to be afraid that you're not going to get what you want if you ask. Because you are already not getting what you want. They always laugh about that because they realize it's so true.” – Marcia Martin

8. Have you ever watched children play? • It’s ok for you too. You create your own reality. • Stop caring what other people think. Have fun! • Do silly stuff just because you feel like it • Don’t take yourself too seriously life "The greatest fear in the world is the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom."

9. As the world gets smaller and more interconnected, the stakes for unethical behavior get higher and higher. • Whether you’re a “good person” or not, play by the rules. • Doing bad things may be fun, but it’s stressful. • Doing good things feels good, it raises your self esteem, and you get great results. “There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience.” - French Proverb

10. We all have the same basic needs and desires. • This is what diversity is all about. • Get to know people in all levels of the organization. Reach out to those in need. “Everyone is a human equal.” – Larry Inks

11. Thoughts influence chance • Law of Attraction, “The Secret” • “Ask, believe, receive” • Personal experiences • Winning competitions • Finding rockstar parking spots • Getting picked to do cool stuff • Right place at the right time “Luck is believing you’re lucky.” – Tennessee Williams

12. Represent Fame, Fortune, Family, and Friends by the numeral 0. Represent health by the number 1. • If you have the 1 and put it first, every added 0 will increase your wealth. Without the 1 first, you have nothing! • Exercise, eat right, get enough sleep, drink lots of water, stay away from junk food (and drunk food). • Everything else in your life will improve with good physical health. 0 0 0 0 1

13. Don’t dwell on what did or didn’t happen in the past. Let go. • Don’t think about how great things will be in the future. • Learn to be in the here and now, and experience life as it’s happening, and appreciate the world for what it is, right now. • Practice makes perfect with this crucial skill. “Yesterday is already gone, Tomorrow is not yet here. Today is the only day available to us. Today is the most important day of our lives.” – ThichNhatHanh

14. As a society in whole, we want too much • Too much food, too much money, too much stuff • Impulse spending destroys thousands of lives • Clothes when you don’t need them • Gadgets just to have them • Ordering stuff online cause it’s easy • Buying that shiny new SUV • Be especially careful when you graduate! “In JeetKune Do, one does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.” – Bruce Lee

15. Relationships are the cornerstone of life. • We can’t go anywhere or do anything that doesn’t involve other people. • Your ability to succeed primarily depends on your ability to understand and interact with others. • Go out of your way to make someone smile every day. • Use social networking tools to manage your networks. • Read books on emotional intelligence, love and relationships, conflict management, social styles, etc… “Our greatest joy and our greatest pain comes in our relationships with others.” - Stephen R. Covey

16. Everything in life is negotiable • I ask for what I want • The world is my playground • My integrity is all I have • Everyone is a human equal • I am the luckiest person ever • My health is my most valuable asset • Today is the most important day of my life • I have everything I need already • Life is all about relationships

17. Show up • Show up on time • Smile, nod, act engaged, speak up in class • Sit in the front couple rows • Make a connection with your instructor early • Get to know who’s smart, then work with them • Do the assigned reading and assignments • Study in groups (but stay on task!) “Grading is subjective, take advantage of It.”

18. 1. Start and maintain a profile. • 2. Get a credit card with points/cash back and put everything on it. Pay it off every month. • Get paid to spend money on an interest free loan • Research at www.creditcards.com

19. 3. Turn off your television. • 4. Pull away from the Internet. When 200 University of Maryland students were asked to give up all media for a full day, after 24 hours many of them exhibited drug-like behavior, cravings, withdrawal, anxietyand an inability to function. Worst was going without texting, email and Facebook.

20. 5. Talk to old people. • 6. Play with children

21. 7. Savor food. Don’t just eat it, really enjoy it. • 8. Clean your room. Declutter your desk/car. • 9. Apologize to a friend or family member that you wronged a long time ago.

22. 10. Take a multivitamin before you go out drinking. When you get home, pound water. • 11. Invest in a flask. • 5 drinks a night x • 5 dollars a drink x • 4 nights a week x • 4 weeks a month = $400 dollars

23. 12. Start a monthly challenge. • 13. Do an audit on your Facebook account. • Privacy settings (only friends) • Inappropriate pictures, groups • Personal information • Album settings

24. 14. Give up magazines for books or blogs. • 15. Throw sick parties. • Build relationships • Refine organization skills • 16. Break up with someone you don’t like.

25. 17. Learn to understand the opposite sex. • 18. Slow down. • 19. Get outside more often. Don’t let yourself be shut indoors.

26. 20. Get involved in student organizations. • Don’t spread yourself too thin • Reach out for leadership roles • 21. Do something creative. • Paint, write, dance, act, sing… • 22. Stop drinking caffeine.

27. 23. Start saving for your retirement now. • Max your Roth IRA, 401K = you will be a millionaire • Google “Roth IRA twenties” • 24. Set and pursue goals. • Monthly or weekly, whatever works for you • Use some sort of template or a journal • For example…

28. Health: • Fun: • School: • Work: • Books: • Family: • Leadership: • 5 Action Items for June/July 2009: • 1. No internet after 10pm • 2. Go to bed by 11pm every night • 3. Meet 50 people at DHL this month • 4. Run at least a mile a day • 5. Read Talent on Demand, Logic of Life and Breakfast of Champions

29. 25. Read these ten books (and others like them) • Think and Grow Rich – Napolean Hill • How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie • The 4-Hour Work Week – Tim Ferriss • The Power of Optimism – Alan Loy McGinnis • The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey • Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki • 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership – John Maxwell • The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle • As a Man Thinketh – James Allen “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

30. 1. Start a LinkedIn profile. • 2. Get a credit card with points. • 3. Turn off your television. • 4. Pull away from the Internet. • 5. Talk to old people. • 6. Play with children. • 7. Savor food. Really enjoy it. • 8. Clean your room. Declutter. • 9. Apologize to someone you wronged a long time ago. • 10. Take a multivitamin before you go out. Drink water after. • 11. Invest in a flask. • 12. Start a monthly challenge. • 13. Audit your Facebook account. • 14. Give up reading magazines. • 15. Throw sick parties. • 16. Break up with someone. • 17. Understand the opposite sex. • 18. Slow down. • 19. Get outside more often. • 20. Get involved in student organizations. Leadership roles. • 21. Do something creative. • 22. Stop drinking caffeine. • 23. Save for retirement now. • 24. Set and pursue goals. • 25. Read these ten books.

31. Thank you for sharing this time with me. • Feel free to use me as a resource, for whatever. • Stay connected • www.facebook.com/hrostoski • www.linkedin.com/in/hrostoski • www.twitter.com/hrostoski • Email me if you want a copy of this PowerPoint • Put your notes on your fridge/desk to remind you that you are now on the road to your fantastic life “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” - Buddha