A colleague of mine asked me to speak to a group of her graduate students. I came up with the following which seemed appropriate and I believe would serve us all well beyond the bounds of the classroom.

Simple Rules for Every Student

• Always do your homework: be prepared – in fact, shoot for over-prepared.
• Work and play well with others: reach out and develop strong, lasting relationships. You never know when that give-and-take will benefit one or both of you.
• Go for extra credit: do more than you have to and exceed expectations. People will remember how you treat them.
• Never stop learning: everywhere you look there are opportunities for growth and development. There is always a takeaway if you look for it.
• Don’t skip recess: take the time for reflection, discovering purpose and a turn at bat.

What do you think?