2007 Life 101: Thinking Outside the Books student-alumni networking conference.
On Saturday, April 28, 2007, the third annual Life 101: Thinking Outside the Books seminar brought together nearly 170 UC San Diego students and 50 alumni to enjoy a half day of networking, educational breakout sessions, and inspiring keynote speakers focused on surviving—and thriving in—life after graduation.
This joint effort by the Career Services Center and Alumni Association is designed to help students successfully navigate the transition from student life to the world beyond UCSD. Primarily targeting juniors and seniors who are focused on their career goals, Life 101 creates a safe forum for students to try out their networking skills with recent and established alumni while picking up practical tips and perspectives on navigating those early years out of college.
 This year’s seminar kicked off with a keynote address by Paul Lamb, ’95, the principal of Man on a Mission Consulting. Lamb advised an auditorium full of sharply-dressed students to balance career goals with giving back to their communities and talked about leveraging technology for the greater good. Students then had the opportunity to attend two of six dynamic breakout sessions on topics relevant to personal and career success.
These themed sessions featured alumni panelists discussing hot topics such as personal financial management in "Freakonomics for the Recent Graduate," diversity awareness in "Five People You Meet in the Workplace," and launching a business in "Entrepreneurship, the Owner's Manual." The enthusiastic student participants asked many questions of the panelists, and key take-aways included the value of compound interest for young people embarking on a savings plan, as well as the impact of diverse age groups within today's workplace.
Following the breakout sessions, students and alumni came together in industry-specific lounges for "Networking with the Pros," where successful graduates in a number of professional fields including arts, communication, and entertainment; business; human services; life and health sciences; and technology offered their advice to eager undergraduates. Amidst the sweaty palms and occasional nervous laughter, students had the opportunity to connect with alumni such as a FOX News photojournalist, the executive vice president of Sony Pictures Digital, an immigration attorney, an optometrist, and a product design engineer.
Bringing the seminar to a close, Chancellor Marye Anne Fox welcomed students to the UCSD Faculty Club, where participants dined together over a formal luncheon while listening to the motivating words of Hudson Freeze, '71, Ph.D. '76. Freeze shared his personal story of unexpected career paths (including a stint on Broadway) and the importance of taking risks while trusting one's instincts. His uplifting message reinforced the theme of Life 101, and one student stated that "few times have I felt this motivated by a UCSD event!" Participating alumni then had the opportunity to network with each other and reminisce about time spent on campus at an exclusive reception following the luncheon.
The vision for Life 101 originated in 2004 and became a reality in April 2005, just in time to help graduating seniors gear up for life after graduation. Since its inception, the positive student and alumni feedback, strategic event timing, and hard work of engaged staff, student volunteers, and campus partners have shaped Life 101 into one of UCSD's flagship events. Students walk away from the seminar with new professional contacts and the knowledge that there is rarely one path that leads to a desired goal, but rather a series of steps-some planned and others by chance-that pave the way to professional and personal success.
For more information about UCSD's Life 101 seminar and to view past events, please visit:
http://alumni.ucsd.edu/life101/. 
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