CEDTalks

"Back to the future, gotta slow up for the present I'm fast, n*ggas can't get past my past How they propose to deal with my perfect present" Jay-Z, "Hovi Baby" As millions of rap enthusiasts salivate over Shawn Carter's new album Magna Carta Holy Grail  (or indulge in it, if you already downloaded it), one can't help but reminisce over some of his previous classics. I still play the aforementioned song and album in my car, the 2002 LP  The Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse  remaining one of my favorite pieces of work from Jay. In the song, "Hova" elaborates on fans and critics alike being so enamored with his contributions (as an artist and person), they miss his modern day creativity and genius. While this is a theme that Jay revisits later in his career , this line always struck a chord with me and does now more than ever. It tells a story of a person's attempts to prosper being squelched by nostalgia, and the challenge of ...

With the summer dwindling down and the nostalgia of being away from dorms wearing off, students are planning their return to school. It is a time of mental  and  physical  preparation; you must retrain your mind to study concepts, prepare to balance your studies and social life, and buy new clothes so that you're "killin' em" the first 3 weeks of class. In addition to looking fresh, each scholar has a number of goals and objectives to accomplish during the respective year, and it is truly important to get off to a great start in order to do so. Success, specifically great starts, are a result of preparation; as a great man once said, "Success is the sum of a preparation, faith, and opportunity. So with the opportunity to return to school, I have faith the following methods will help bring success  and put you in the place to be.  1. Bring in the Goal List What everyone's working for... We make lists for everything: grocery list, Christmas li...