Many of us were delighted to learn that a high school senior Kwasi Enin was accepted to all eight Ivy League universities. To our surprise, he wasn't excited as expected, but appeared extra calm. He announced that he would revisit the universities to find the best suitable in music or medicine. He also wanted to compare their financial aid packages.

Kwasi's success story is rare, but his reaction is not. After the admission letters arrive at home, students have 30 days to really think about what kind of school would help them grow as a person, which school would best prepare them for the future, and at which school they would be happiest. And they also have to think about whether they can afford the school they choose.

But how to answer the questions about which school is the best suitable university? Some young people are attracted to large universities with great school spirit and a list of offerings. But besides those advantages, many of these universities focus on graduate work and research, with undergraduates taught mostly by part-time instructors. Others are attracted to smaller boarding schools with discussion-based classes. But some of these schools will have much limitation for students who want a high-energy city life experience.

Many students today seem to think they should pick the university where they will get the diploma that will help them get the most highly paid job. This is a sad misunderstanding of what a college education should provide. A good college education should prepare them to overcome any difficulty and thrive in society. It helps them to form the habit of creative mind and spirit that will continue to develop far beyond their university years. So when you choose college, you should consider if it is filled with useful learning to help create new spaces for different possibilities of growth.

If you go into the forest with friends, stay with them. If you don’t, you may get lost. If you get lost, this is what you should do. Sit down and stay where you are. Don’t try to find your friends—let them find you. You can help them find you by staying in one place. There is another way to help your friends or other people to find you. You can shout or whistle three times. Stop. Then shout or whistle three times again. Any signal given three times is a call for help.

Keep up shouting or whistling. Always three times together. When people hear you, they will know that you are not just making a noise for fun. They will let you know that they have heard your signal. They will give you two shouts or two whistles. When a signal is given twice, it is an answer to a call for help.

If you don’t think that you will get help before night comes, try to make a little house with branches(树枝). Make yourself a bed with leaves and grass.

When you need some water, you have to leave your little branch house to look for it. Don’t just walk away. Pick off small branches and drop them as you walk in order to go back again easily. When you are lost, the most important thing to do is to stay in one place.

If you're planning on travelling, there are a few simple rules about how to make life easier both before and after your journey.

First of all, always check and double-check departure (起程) time. It is amazing how few people really do this carefully. Once I arrived at the airport a few minutes after ten. My secretary had got the ticket for me and I thought she had said that the plane left at 10:50. When I arrived at the airport, the clerk at the departure desk told me that my flight was closed. Therefore, I had to wait three hours for the next one and missed an important meeting.

The second rule is to remember that even in this age of credit cards, it is still important to have at least a little of the local currency (货币) with you when you arrive in a country. This can be necessary if you are flying to a place which few tourists normally visit. A few years ago, I was sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I flew there from London via Dallas, with very little time to change planes in between. I arrived there at midnight and the bank at the airport was closed. The only way to get to my hotel was by taxi and because I had no dollars, I offered to pay in pounds instead. "Listen！I only take real money!" the driver said angrily. Luckily I was able to borrow a few dollars from a clerk at the hotel, but it was embarrassing (令人难堪的).

The third and last rule is to find out as much as you can about the weather at your destination (目的地) before you leave. I feel sorry for some of my workmates who travel in heavy suit and raincoats in May, when it is still fairly cool in London or Manchester, or places like Athens, Rome or Madrid, where it is already beginning to get warm during the day.