From graduation to marriage to career advancement, students share their goals and wishes on the Before I Die wall.

Mihaylo’s Business Honors Program has sponsored the Before I Die wall, which provides CSUF students a place to write their life goals and ambitions. The annual six-foot-tall chalkboard wall is on campus through Thursday. 

Where do you hope to see yourself in the future? Do you want to be a leader in your profession, have a family, travel the world, make a positive impact on society or enjoy your favorite hobby? Cal State Fullerton students are writing down their hopes and dreams on a chalkboard wall at Mihaylo Hall this week. Dubbed the “Before I Die” wall by the Business Honors Program, it is a place for students to reflect on their future.

Started by students in 2013, the wall has become an annual event that has drawn the attention of the campus community and even CSU Chancellor Timothy White.

“The students of the Business Honors Program created the wall to foster community among CSUF students and promote the honors program,” says the program’s Vice President for Public Relations Luc Ceci ’17 (finance). “Through sharing our dreams we inspire one another and often create a few laughs as well.”

Robert Mead, a Mihaylo economics professor and director of the Business Honors program, agrees on the wall’s importance. “As a student myself many years ago and now as a parent, I find that much of academic life is doing what someone tells you to do to move on to the next level. If you learn to read and write, you can go on to higher grade levels; if you take certain classes in high school, then you can apply to college; if you take certain classes in a certain order, you can earn a degree. Then students get to the end of their program, and they don’t know what to do after they graduate,” he says. “This wall is a small effort to get our campus community to think about what they want to accomplish in life, whether personal or professional.”

Setting and Achieving Goals

How can students achieve their dreams? Mead offers advice on how to make goals a reality. “Once you have decided upon some goals, investigate what you need to do to accomplish them. There is an old adage that states ‘a failure to plan is a plan to fail,’” he says. “Waiting for good luck is not a reliable path to success.  It is important to figure the steps necessary to take to achieve your goals.”

At the same time, Mead urges flexibility in following life plans. “Life is a journey, and there will be opportunities and distractions. Just because you have a plan doesn’t mean you have to meticulously follow it,” he says. “Having a plan can create framework to help you decide whether an opportunity is worth pursuing in light of your current goals.”

About the Business Honors Program

The Business Honors program provides a cohort-based sequence of courses that are completed in a structured order, providing a well-rounded introduction to the contemporary business world. Students also participate in community service, university involvement, leadership development, internships and study abroad opportunities. More information is available online.