The diplomas have been handed out. The mortarboards have been tossed. Umm...now what? That, in a nutshell, is high school graduation. As millions of graduates face their future, you offered suggestions and shared wisdom. Some of it is practical (ramen costs 49 cents). Some of it is whimsical (wear glitter). And all of it is helpful — in the way that if-you-knew-then-what-you-know-now advice always is.

This Month’s Winner

Find Balance
Spend breakfast talking with friends and movie night in, with just you, popcorn, and a blanket. Eat your veggies and your cake. Wear sunscreen and glitter. Plan for the future and keep in touch with old friends. Visit your folks and travel to places you’ve never seen. Treat yourself as you would a cherished friend; be good to and honest with yourself. Don’t let your passion for self-discovery end. Let life be the best teacher you’ve ever had.
Michelle Evans
Davis, California
Michelle will receive a copy of the book Real Simple: The Organized Home.

Career Planning

Be open to new things: Although you have been sure that you want to be a doctor since age six, college may open your eyes to new possibilities. Try a lot of different courses and activities before you make a decision — and no decision has to be final. You can leave your office job at age 40 and open that tea shop you’ve always dreamed of.
Catherine Resnick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

If you are interested in a certain field, volunteer or intern. If that field turns out to be not at all what you expected, you will save time and money on education or training. And if you do like it, the experience will allow you to learn the basics of the profession and some of the unwritten rules of the work world prior to your first real job. It’s also an environment where it’s OK to make mistakes, and where you can build your self-confidence to ask questions when you don’t understand something.
Elizabeth A. Royal
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

When I was graduating from high school, an older cousin gave me my best advice. She said that despite my desire to spend college summers babysitting at the beach, I should force myself to get good summer internships. I took her advice, and because of those internships my first job after college was working in the White House for President Clinton.
Hildy Kuryk
New York, New York

I strongly suggest that the new graduate stop at any library (full disclosure: I am a librarian) and look at the Occupational Outlook Handbook, www.amazon.com, a compilation, by the U.S. Department of Labor, of hundreds of jobs, including educational requirements and salary potential. I think we limit our choices of career by being unaware of the wonderful jobs that we could experience.
Linda Urban
Howard Beach, New York