I’m no Jay Z fanatic, but I must admit, he was onto something with the way he promoted his latest album, “Magna Carta Holy Grail.” Using the term “new rules” in commercials for the project, he made a landmark move by partnering with Samsung to give free copies of the album to the first 1 million downloaders.

Many have criticized the advertising techniques used for “MCHG,” claiming the tactics do not encourage consumers to go out and personally buy the album as they traditionally would.

But this “new rules” concept speaks for itself — especially to our generation.

By creating “new rules” for our careers, education and even relationships, millennials can shift from feeling stuck under society’s pressure of how our lives should look. We can instead design our lives as we see fit, based on our own expectations.

The only way to reach our ambitious goals and counter the difficulties of an ever-changing world is to create our own realities. To see newer and better results, we must push beyond our limits to embark on roads we may have never taken before.

For example, when it comes to education, the debate throughout the nation seems to be stuck on questioning the value of a college degree today, especially with the ongoing crisis of student loan debt.

But since we’re already here and many of us deep in our degree programs at Syracuse University, the time has come to stop questioning what our collegiate careers are worth. We must begin to make our own paths and choices work for us. Thinking unconventionally and seizing every opportunity to take a class or participate in an activity outside of our normal realm can help bring something different to the table.

It is easy to play strictly by the guidelines and recommendations set forth.

No matter if you’re on the pre-med, pre-law or pre-I’m-not-exactly-sure-what-to-do-with-my-life-yet tracks, there are millions of other individuals with similar ambitions from whom you can set yourself apart, simply by thinking outside of the box.

Innovation is, after all, a major characteristic commonly applied to our generation.

Like our education, the rules of relationships need to be reviewed.

It seems that the rules by which society used to play don’t exactly help with the dilemmas those in relationships may face.

Love advice from former generations shouldn’t be tossed out of the window or cast down, but some tips certainly need to be tweaked. Holding doors and picking up the check at dinner may be considered chivalrous, but many millennials view these tasks as old-fashioned.

Times have changed. More women are the breadwinners for their families, and tools like social media create new hurdles in relationships, often sparking jealousy and arguments.

It is necessary to change the game a bit and establish your own personal boundaries that work best for you and your partner, regardless of what was considered the norm in the past. The key to a successful relationship in college — yes, it is possible — might be to take on a balance between traditional and new-age principles.

Using the blueprints of what other generations have left behind, it is up to us as millennials to create a unique game plan that works for us to achieve the lifestyle we desire. Remember, if we never take the time to break away from the pack, we will never learn what we can contribute to the world.

Nina Rodgers is a sophomore sociology major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at nmrodger@syr.edu. 

Published on July 30, 2013 at 10:13 pm