All of our lives we are told to have a game plan or an idea for the future. This is all well and good but when life throws you the proverbial curve ball, you have to be ready to swing. I might even argue that having a plan is secondary to having the ability to be flexible. This is especially true when it comes to deciding our futures in the college setting.

My three cups of tea this past week was with Tim Nichols, dean of the Honors College. Nichols is also the husband of academic provost, Laurie Nichols. Needless to say, he has quite the plethora of experience, not only with university-level academics but student advising as well.

Dean Nichols’ path to his current position was anything but typical. He began his secondary education with an undergraduate degree in agriculture from Washington State University. That degree led to a position within the academic world of recruiting and advising of agricultural students for the university.

Initially even Dean Nichols was unsure if education past the undergraduate level was for him.

“I had no idea what graduate school was at first. My best guess was that you went to learn about graduation,” Nichols said.

After deciding there was more to graduate school than learning how to graduate, Nichols received a Masters in Education from Washington State University before taking a position at SDSU. Once again, he was faced with the idea of continuing his education.

“As I worked in the academic world I realized this is what I loved, so I had better get a Ph.D.,” Nichols said.

Although Nichols had not planned on working within academia when he began his path there, he would not change anything now.

“I’ve always loved the jobs I’ve had,” Nichols said. “The jobs have been at places where there is room to grow and the freedom to try new stuff. With a little creativity for new sources of money, there is nothing holding you back.”

Though he loves his jobs now, Nichols realizes that he could have ended up in a much different place had he not be so open-minded.

“The key is to see where life takes you. You have to be adaptable,” Nichols said. “If the road forks, and you decide to do something else, you have to be OK with that.”

Nichols cites Diane Rickerl, the Associate Dean of the Graduate School, as an example of flexibility in action. Rickerl has a bachelor’s degree in art, masters in chemistry and earned his doctorate in soils, yet she was able to become an associate dean in an unrelated field.

Nichols thinks the key to being open minded is trying new things and challenging yourself. When I asked for his advice on spending a semester abroad, his advice was, “Do it.”

“There are a million reasons not to do something like that. Be it money, time, whatever. But you have to just suck it up and do it,” Nichols said.

So as I look towards my academic future, I have to remind myself to take Nichols advice. There will in fact be a million reasons to avoid something new and challenging. I know I will have to fight with my Mid-Western instincts of leaving well enough alone and challenge myself to stretch my comfort zone and step out of the “normal box.” I think we could all learn quite a bit about ourselves if we did in fact just, “Do it.”

Students across campus gathered on Sept. 20 to learn the meaning of Diversti-Tea. The Diversi-Tea event was presented by the Honors College in collaboration with the Common Read program.

The event, which was based on the campus-wide Common Read, Three Cups of Tea, followed the Pakistani proverb that when you first have a cup of tea with someone, you are strangers, over the second cup, you are an honored guest and by the third cup, you are family. The idea of three cups of tea was condensed into one evening of thought-provoking conversations.

Students were assigned to different tables in the Volstorff Ballroom and were presented with different questions to discuss at their tables. Members of the Honors College, campus faculty and students in Ruth Harper’s Student Development Theory class moderated the discussions.

“This is a chance for students to engage in meaningful and fun conversations,” said Tim Nichols, dean of the Honors College. “It’s a unique opportunity to listen, learn and share.”

The Diversi-Tea was the first of a series of extracurricular events designed to promote Common Read program on campus, and it was an overwhelming success. Although only about 100 students sent RSVP’s, the final crowd numbered around 350.

Bri Graff, a sophomore wildlife and fisheries major in the Honors College, helped moderate the event.

“Dr. Nichols is extremely persuasive,” Graff said. “He can always get our class involved.”

Nichols was extremely excited with how the evening went.

“We were just thrilled with the response,” Nichols said. “I was so excited that people could have the opportunity for a campus-wide conversation about diversity.”

Nichols said the event was unique because the reason for it was simply to get to know someone new. He said people rarely get together with the sole purpose of having an interesting conversation and meeting new friends.

Sally Gillman, assistant professor of counseling and human development, also helped put on the event.

“It was so exciting to see people so engaged in conversations,” Gillman said. “And there were way more people than anticipated.”

The next Common Read event is the Hunger Banquet and Community Night that will take place in the Volstorff Ballroom at 7 p.m. Sept. 29. Following the event, there will be a presentation by Dr. Robert Watrel on the Geopolitics of Central Asia Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in Dairy Microbiology 100.