Seize the day

The AIS Student Chapter Leadership Conference and Competition took place from March 20-22. The phrase "seize the day" originates from the translation of the Latin phrase "carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,” which roughly translates to "seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.” Michael Spandau, the vice president of global information technology and CIO of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, mentioned this concept during the last day of the conference. There are two ways to "seize the day" that we should keep in mind.

By Christopher Slater  |  Student Writer

As the vice president for finance of the Department of Information Systems Club (DISC), this past weekend I had the honor and privilege of helping the W. P. Carey School of Business, the IS Department and DISC host the 2014 Association for Information Systems (AIS) Student Chapter Leadership Conference and Competition. Throughout the conference, we heard from a variety of business leaders and associates that work in the IS/IT industry.

I am writing to impart what I personally believe to be the most important and relevant advice given to us during the conference. That advice is to "seize the day.” The phrase "seize the day" originates from the translation of the Latin phrase "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,” which roughly translates to "seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.”

Michael Spandau, the vice president of global information technology and CIO of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, mentioned this concept during the last day of the conference. There are two ways to "seize the day" that we should keep in mind. The first way is to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. While this sounds relatively straightforward, I have found that this tends to be much easier said than done. The main reason that we miss out on opportunities is because we are afraid to act on them.

In particular, we become apprehensive about trying something new and the possible ramifications of failure. However, as we heard during the conference, the opportunities that challenge us are the ones that will teach you the most about your task and about yourself. One of these opportunities presented itself to me last spring. At first, I thought it was crazy to even consider acting on the opportunity, and I thought of many excuses to not take the leap.

Eventually, I mustered up the courage to inquire about the opportunity and I began to take the steps to become an officer of DISC. It’s important to act on these opportunities because you never know where they will take you. Had I not become an officer in DISC, I would not have been at the AIS Conference. Had I not been at the conference, I can guarantee that I would not be here writing this article.

I have seen and met people that I would never have had I not become an officer. So remember, don't be afraid of the opportunities that may arise. By overcoming your fears, you will find that these opportunities will be some of the defining moments of your life. Even if you do fail, at least you tried, and you will have learned from the accumulated experience.

I have found that more often than not, in the long run, failure leads to success. The second way to "seize the day" is to start preparing yourself for the future. Right now! Get into the habit of doing things to improve yourself sooner rather than making the excuse that you will do it later.

If you want to do well on an upcoming exam, sacrifice a night or two of fun to study for the exam. If you want to learn a new coding language, start doing research online or go to workshops where you can learn. Whatever professional development endeavor you are stalling on, begin to do it now while you still have the chance to do so.

In short, keep an eye out for opportunities to improve yourself. Take advantage of the time you have now and start preparing yourself for your future in business. And remember, "carpe diem".