I see too many students thinking that planning for the future doesn’t really matter. That’s just not going to fly. 

Students, I'm not telling you that you need to decide what you want to be when you grow up or what specific career you're going to have 20 years from now, but you must constantly think about your academic profile and what general direction you would like it to move in. I am simply asking you to think about what your academic profile currently looks like and where you want it to be next year, the year after that, and the year after that. Whether it's 12 months, 24, or 36 months, you must consider next educational step that you're taking.

I understand that it may seem...