May 1, 2025
This letter to outgoing students is a modified version taken from a transcript of a brief address given by associate professor Manuel Rausch to students in his Aerospace Materials Laboratory (ASE 324L) class. Many of these students are seniors who will be graduating this spring or in the near future.
I’ve been thinking a lot about you all lately, because you’re in such an interesting and important transition in your lives. I’ve talked to some of you about this one-on-one — not so much in a deeply philosophical sense, though I do try to push things in that direction when I can—but more just practically: You’re about to start “real life” for the first time.
And by that, I mean there’s no longer a program laid out for you: No due dates. No directives. No checklist. For the first time, there’s really no plan unless you make one.
I remember that stage of life really well. At the time, I found myself totally incapable of thinking a year ahead—not intellectually, but emotionally. I just wasn’t prepared to do that. And I had no idea how to go about designing a life.
And it’s funny, because as engineers, we’re trained to be rational. We’re supposed to plan, to think about objectives and outcomes. But no one teaches us how to apply that mindset to life. Most of us just don’t. Things work, or they don't. Some fall apart, we try to adjust, and maybe we get lucky enough to have mentors — or maybe we don’t.
For me, one big lesson I learned was that when you don’t have a plan, everything starts to feel overwhelming. You might find yourself in a job you hate — I absolutely hated my first real job — and I was ready to quit. But a friend of mine said, “Why don’t you think about what comes after that? What if your next job is the same? What if this just keeps happening?”
And that was the first time I started to realize: I need to think about what I actually want from life. And how I could design things to become that.
That might sound abstract to you right now — and that’s okay. Some of you have immediate plans: a job, an internship, maybe grad school. Some of you are still figuring it out. But either way, I’d encourage you to start thinking of life not just as a series of jobs, or a pile of accomplishments or material things, but as a long journey — potentially 60, 70 years from this point forward, if all goes well.
And that’s a long time for your job alone to carry the weight of your fulfillment.
So, I ask you to take some time to look inward and ask: What fulfills me? What makes me feel content or purposeful or grounded? It doesn’t have to be happiness — some people don’t seek that. Some people seek meaning, or peace, or completion. And those answers usually require asking: What guides me? What do I value?
I’d encourage you every once in a while to just take a breath. Sit by a pool, lie in a field of grass, and wonder: What is it that I’m trying to optimize in my life? Because until you do that, you’re not really steering the ship. Life just happens to you. Someone else — your job, your boss, your organization, even your peer group ends up being the captain of your boat.
And I think becoming the captain of your own boat is one of life’s biggest blessings. You get one life. That’s it. And it’s up to you to design it into something that, when all is said and done, feels like it was worth living.
That may sound dramatic. And don’t worry — you have time. But it’s worth thinking about now and then: What is it that guides me?
For me, that question helped a lot. Back when I was in that awful job — stressful boss, hostile environment — I really felt like someone was just wasting my time and energy, making my life worse. But once I sat down and made a real plan, I realized that this miserable job was actually an important piece. It was going to help get me to the next step. And that changed everything. I stopped feeling like a victim of the job. The job became a tool I was using.
I remember thinking: I’m going to stick this out. I’m going to do a great job. I’m going to impress this jerk whether he wants it or not. And then when the time is right, I’ll move on — with experience, with credibility, with momentum.
That shift in mindset transformed how I showed up to work. Suddenly, each day was just a step in a larger plan. Just like a daily workout that builds toward long-term strength.
So: Think about what drives you. Where do you want to go? What do you value? Let that guide your decisions.
Whether it’s choosing between job offers, applying to grad school, or just navigating your first year in the workforce — those values will help you make better choices.
And one final thing — be patient. That’s hard in today’s world, where everything moves fast, where news and updates hit you constantly, and where it feels like everyone else is moving at warp speed.
But some things need time. They need patience. They need dedication.
Give your first job a real shot. Be patient with yourself. Learn as much as you can. Don’t give up too quickly.
That said, if you find yourself in a toxic situation, don’t stay there. Even if it technically fits into your plan, your health — mental and physical — always comes first. Sometimes leaving is the better move.
In short, learn about your values and long-term goals. Once you know what those are, everything else gets easier.
Be kind, be curious, support each other, and enjoy the journey. Please stay in touch with me, your classmates, your other professors, and the department. We are excited to learn what you do next.
Manuel K. Rausch
Associate Professor, General Dynamics Endowed Faculty Fellow
