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Commencement season is all about advice. But what does guidance look like when it’s not delivered from a podium but from from the experiences of recent graduates?
As part of an ongoing mentoring project, Boston University’s Patrick Abouchalache has kept in touch with dozens of his former business students who have graduated and entered the workforce. He’s surveyed hundreds more, asking questions like “How do you define success?” and “What motivates you most?”
He’s gone through responses from those alumni, who now work in every industry from ranching to pharmaceuticals, and shares four recurring themes linked to post-graduation happiness.
This week we also liked articles about the Buddha’s reverence for the woman who raised him, the state of Catholicism in the U.S., and why so many judges appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term are ruling against him now.
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Up, up and away!
EyeEm GmbH/Getty Images
Patrick Abouchalache, Boston University
Honor your values, invest in yourself and don’t forget your ‘happy circle.’
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Prince Siddhartha with his foster mother Mahaprajapati.
A 1910 painting by Maligawage Sarlis. Photo by MediaJet, 2009 via Wikimedia Commons
Megan Bryson, University of Tennessee
The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, taught that family ties were obstacles to enlightenment. However, his relationship with his mother remained important for him.
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Parishioners attend a memorial Mass in honor of Pope Francis at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on April 21, 2025.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Maureen K. Day, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
‘Cultural Catholics’ who rarely attend Mass now make up half of the US church.
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Paul M. Collins Jr., UMass Amherst
Instead of upholding Trump administration policies, federal judges − including Trump appointees − are blocking much of Trump’s second-term agenda. It’s what happens when a president overreaches.
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Darlingtina Esiaka, University of Kentucky
Perseverance helps people achieve goals and is linked with well-being. But combined with chronic societal stressors, it can lead to cognitive overload that puts a strain on brain health.
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John K. Murray, Arizona State University
With a little guidance and a lot of practice, even you can make stone tools the way our oldest ancestors did – and learn to recognize the signs of a deliberately made tool.
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The Conversation News Quiz 🧠
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Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation
Here’s the first question of this week’s edition:
94-year-old billionaire Warren Buffett announced on May 3 that he will finally retire as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett is famed for his simple lifestyle in his hometown, where his stock-picking prowess earned him the nickname of the ...
- A. Sage of Secaucus
- B. Oracle of Omaha
- C. Nostradamus of Nashville
- D. Swami of San Jose
Test your knowledge
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