First Steps Advising

HAPPY THURSDAY, friends! ✨Let's throw it back to my college graduation. I thought to myself, what can you do to improve my skills and grow in my career? Yeah, college is a lengthy process. I get it, but based on my own experience, it's worth it. Am I sure some of you have the same thoughts? Regardless of where you're at—whether you're a senior manager or an entry-level employee on the front lines—you can continue growing and advancing your career and professional goals. And higher education gives you the shoes to take that next step.🎓

To succeed in your career, you have to develop your knowledge, gain skills and acquire a network that will help you take that next step toward where you want to be. Education is a significant action in staying ambitious and enhancing your skills. Whether you're starting in your career or returning to continue to build upon your years of experience, continuing educational training helps you keep moving forward. ✔️

"Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end, you are sure to succeed." – Abraham Lincoln ✨

Happy Monday, friends! It's a beautiful Monday, so let's get motivated. The sudden transition from weekend relaxation to workweek action is why Mondays can be a struggle for so many. It's not easy to enter the week primed with the motivation to be productive. Stress, overwhelm, and the state of the world have made it understandable lately if you'd rather curl up on the couch with a blanket and Netflix instead of crushing your to-do list. So how exactly can we find our motivation? Why do you wake up and do what you do every day? Why do you choose to spend 40 hours a week at your job? Reconnect with your why and define your purpose. Life gets in the way, and our reason for accomplishing our everyday activities can fall to the wayside. Spending a few minutes reminding yourself why you're on the path you're on can reignite your drive. Wake up with a positive mindset. Meditate if you must, but never forget why you are doing what you are doing. Don't let Monday Blues rule you. Kick Monday in the butt and conquer the day. 👏🏽

Happy Veterans Day, friends! The month of November is a special time for the nation's veterans. Veteran's Day is an opportunity to honor the efforts of all who have been in the armed forces, with a special emphasis on veterans. Today is an especially poignant time to show your appreciation for the men and women of the military. However you choose to celebrate this Veterans Day – either by watching a parade, going to public service, or just hugging a family member who served – remember the point of the holiday: to honor all who served for their dedication and sacrifice.

To all veterans and to your families: Thank you for your courage and your sacrifice.

Pursue your passion, they say...Passion is the fuel that burns the desire to achieve greater results. ✨ Metaphorically, it is the ball of fire under your behind when you do the things you love.☄️Routines and negative mindsets can decrease the power of passion in our lives, but what if you don’t feel passionate about anything from the start?

Don’t worry. You’re not doomed. You just need to take some time to discover yourself or reignite that fire. Here are five tips that will help you in finding your passion and living a more fulfilled life.

What Would You Do For Free?
What Do You Love To Do?
What Feels Right To You?
Be Open or Change Your Perspective

There are questions to ask yourself and steps to take for finding your passion. None of that matters, though, if you don’t try. Passion doesn’t just drop onto your lap out of nowhere. It takes action and reflection to learn what you’re passionate about.

"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going." — Earl Nightingale

, friends! Let's get motivated, let's set goals, and let's be GREAT! That is my goal for this week. Have you set your goals for this week? We all know that taking the proper action is easier when we have a clear vision or desire. Therefore, goal setting is an excellent skill to develop and how you design your future. So, what are the key aspects to learn and remember when considering and writing our goals?

Evaluation and Reflection
Dreams and Goals
SMART Goals (SMART means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive).
Accountability

Goal setting is a powerful method for thinking about your ideal future and motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing what you want to achieve, you know where you have to focus your efforts.

“Push harder than yesterday if you want a different tomorrow.” ✨

Why be content being where you are in life if you have the potential to do better. It would help if you strived to be your best, better than what you were yesterday.✔️

Ask nearly any successful person, and they’ll say hard work helped them achieve their dreams and goals. Working hard is often the difference between success and failure, but it is also a rewarding pursuit in itself. There are no shortcuts to success. So, as you roll out of bed today, remember that while the current circumstances may be tough, if you hang on and work hard, you will be able to reap the benefits in the near future. 🙌🏽

— Has it Been Years Since Your Last Job Search? 🔎 Let’s talk about time and organization when it comes to job hunting. When you are out of work and searching for a job, there are countless ways you could spend your job search time wisely or not so wisely. To minimize job search fatigue and make sure you are wisely using your job search, here are five strategies to remember…swipe left to find out more.

What happens when you first hear rejection?
 
Rejection doesn't have to be about the big stuff like not getting into your top college, not making the team, or not getting asked to prom. Everyday situations can lead to feelings of rejection, too, like if your joke didn't get a laugh, if no one remembered to save you a seat at the lunch table, or if the person you like talks to everyone but you.

Feeling rejected is the opposite of feeling accepted. But being rejected (and we all will be at times) doesn't mean someone isn't liked, valued, or important. It just means that one time, in one situation, with one person, things didn't work out.
 
Cost of living can be high from time to time, and we manage rejection in 3 stages;
 
Denial stage:
We go through this stage by asking questions and doubting the process questions such as “its not possible, no way, I didn’t want my life to the end of this way, I don’t believe it, I can't do it, its just luck.”
 
Acceptance stage:
This stage makes us wonder; it gives us comfort and trust we keep thinking, “I admit it, what if it's true? How come I didn’t know this before? It was my fault.”
 
Re-programing stage:
And finally, with the last stage, we reassure our decision, our mindset, and thoughts such as “I am in control, I created my life, the kingdom of heaven is within me. I can have everything I want, I am amazing”.

What is the Tuition Stability Plan?  
 
We know that at UC, the prospect of a tuition increase can create anxiety and uncertainty, especially for low- and middle-income students and their families. The Tuition Stability Plan will generate new financial aid to make UC more affordable for these students while providing more predictability for all UC students as they manage their educational costs. The plan will also support the University’s efforts to preserve the excellence of its academic and research programs and expand enrollment of California students. 

The new multiyear plan sets tuition and other mandatory systemwide fees at the time of enrollment. Starting in fall 2022, both incoming freshmen and transfer students can expect their base Tuition, Student Services Fee, and Nonresident Supplemental Tuition levels (if applicable) will remain the same until they graduate (for up to six academic years). 

The Tuition Stability Plan will not affect a student’s eligibility for financial aid, and UC will continue to offer one of the strongest financial aid programs in the country.  

The new Tuition Stability Plan will go into effect in fall 2022. There will be no tuition increase this fall for current undergraduates or those coming in fall 2021. Tuition, the Student Services Fee, and Nonresident Supplemental Tuition will remain at 2020-21 levels for the 2021-2022 academic year. The plan will be up for reauthorization by the Board of Regents in five years. 

Learn more about the Tuition Stability Plan and how it will impact current and future UC undergraduate students.   

“Hey, I know it’s Monday. But it’s also a new day and a new week. And in that lies a new opportunity for something special to happen.” — Michael Ely

Every week, we suffer from the same malady: a terrible case of Mondays. You dread that alarm going off. And no matter how many things you try—meditation, keeping yourself busy, inspiring quotes, reading, positive thinking .. you're having trouble getting going.

This past week was one of those weeks for me! My thoughts, feelings, hopes, even my routines seemed to be pointless. I couldn’t get anything to move forward! I needed a time out; nothing was going smooth. But then, I reminded myself that I’m also a human; it's ok to feel tired, it's ok to have questions, and it's ok to take a break. But why not think of Monday as an opportunity rather than a punishment? It's a chance to start fresh. Sure, you probably have a long list of things to do you weren’t able to get done the week before at work, but that's okay. You can do it! And maybe this week is going to be the week where everything on your list will be accomplished. This Monday could be the day when everything goes your way. Happy Monday!

In honor of October 🎃 and , I'd like to share a picture that not only caused nostalgia but also made me think about time and how fast it flies, and how valuable it is. Time plays a significant role in our lives and is the most valuable resource because we cannot take it back. So don't waste your time doing anything that doesn't add value to your life or spend your time with people who don't value your light.

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you satisfied in the future. Instead, think of how precious the time you have to spend is at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and appreciated.✨

Ok, guys, let’s be honest…on a scale of 1-10, how stressed out were you with the Instagram outage? 🤣😩

So if you voted high on the scale and you were miserable without social media, I’ve got news for you. It’s estimated that 210 million people worldwide are addicted to social media, and 74% of Americans check social media every day.

It’s good to take breaks from social media because studies show that spending too much time scrolling can increase feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. To take a break from social media, you should turn off notification set limits and prioritize your self-care with other activities you enjoy. In today’s case, social media did us a favor! 😬 Stepping away from social media is a great way to better picture reality; it’s also good for our mental and social health. I hope everyone is having a fabulous Monday!