Time isn’t on my side. Another year has passed, and the completion of my junior year is the essence of my thought. What a year it has been.

I ritually write a column summarizing the new theories of each of my years. Now I’m a 20-year-old college student, bittersweet ant having one year remaining. I have 10 points to share on my latest stop on my journey to commencement. Here we go:

Then navigating one: Why can college be so utopian, so realistic, but so unrealistic? I’ve been fortunate this year to get most things my way. But my encouragement to freshmen must see the goal before you take off running. Find your niche on campus, and maximize your potential in that domain.

The prodigious two: Academic and extra-curricular achievement is important, but communication skills and personality are a must! Personality is everything. Look at the world’s most famous celebrities—they have talent, but personality is the driving force in their success. If you don’t have it, you won’t make it—plain and simple.

The third eye: Know your value. You don’t have to be arrogant or overly cocky. Never settle for less—in relationships, jobs or grades. A man must know his value in a world where he is constantly marketing himself. But don’t value yourself so highly you are unable to learn from others.

The sniping four: Don’t let your college experience overshadow your family. Fall semester, I realized my college career was taking up so much of my life that I was neglecting my family. I quickly fixed the problem. Habitat may need your help building a house, but don’t let our family’s framework fall apart an home .

The oracle five: This is for those who make the laws and regulations we live by. Please don’t be naive. Just because it’s illegal doesn’t mean students are not doing it! Students, don’t be native and think Crimewatch won’t discover you. We are not immune to anything.

Nostradamus six: Things may change, but we still have room to grow. Downtown has finally opened up to the black students. We can have parties and events comfortably at a few of the downtown clubs—which has been lacking. All downtown clubs don’t have a welcome mat. They claim their insurance policy doesn’t cover “hip-hop parties.”

The turbulent seven: Never date anyone you couldn’t see marrying or being in a long-lasting relationship with. The older you get, the more tiring relationship games are.

Ethereal eight: Just trust the process! Things I life happen for a reason We’ve all had situations we didn’t understand. I’m beginning to see why God allowed certain things in my life to occur: they have made me a better, stronger, realer person.

The illmatic nine: Have fun here and everywhere! Lately, I’ve had this desire to road trip. I realized this year that classed are gonna be hard—so let’s roll down to Atlanta for a party on a Thursday night or jump over to Sough Carolina for a weekend.

The talented tenth: Nothing in life is guaranteed—a college degree, financial aid, nothing. Sometimes we think we’re giving 100 percent to a cause and we’ll fall short of the talented tenth needed to obtain what we want.

(From Red and Black, the student newspaper of University of Georgia)http://www.lotusphilosophies.com/