We'll leave the light on

Four years in college is a long time. And it goes by in a flash. \nFour academic years ago, many of the same students who now are preparing for commencement were sitting in Freshman Induction. Others were freshmen five or six years ago. But no matter when you might have attended, I am quite certain that I said you should try to get the most out of our University during your stay here.\nTake an academic side trip or two to art history or philosophy or religious studies or zoology. Go to the opera, the museums, music recitals, a student government meeting or a rugby match. Meet people you might not ordinarily meet by doing things you might not ordinarily do. That's all an important part of a well-rounded education.\nMy message wasn't a new one then. It won't be new next fall, either. Ralph Waldo Emerson once expressed a similar sentiment this way: "Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."\nI hope the 6,064 Bloomington students who will receive IU degrees at commencement followed that advice. If you did, it will mean you earned a well-rounded education, and probably had a great time doing it. But, beyond that, it will mean you have prepared yourselves well for what comes next, i.e. the rest of your lives.\nIt's still possible to complete a college education at most universities by simply going where the path may lead, although I wouldn't recommend it. You can just take the courses you are required to take, attend events you are assigned to attend, get the grades you need to graduate, keep your head down and keep moving along. You will have missed a lot, but you will have a degree.\nBut the next problem will be: What path will I follow for the rest of my life? No list of required courses and prerequisites spells that out. And, as the pace of change increases, paths have a way of disappearing, or turning into dead ends.\nOnly a year or so ago, the dot-com economy seemed to be a sure path to riches. Today, if you believe some of the media reports, it seems to be the quickest route to the unemployment line. Next year, I expect the outlook will be dramatically different again.\nSome career experts say the average person will work in five different professions in his or her working life. Don't be surprised if that estimate keeps getting revised upward, and don't be surprised if some of the ways you will be making a living tomorrow are just being imagined today.\nI expect that our graduates will have the confidence, ability, energy and knowledge to go where there is no path and to leave a trail for others to follow. I hope that your IU experience has convinced you of the joys of, and the need for, lifelong learning.\nAnd to all of our graduates, I express this wish: No matter where your individual paths might lead over the years, I hope they wind back through Bloomington often. We'll leave a light on for you. Keep in touch.