When someone from the audience brought up how staying on campus during the holiday break could cost an extra $300, Thomas said the money should never be the reason to keep you from doing something you want to do.

"If you’re thinking about money then ... you’re not thinking about what you need," he said.

Moving forward with a vision for the future was another thing Thomas suggested.

“Stop making moves based on your old mindset, and start making moves on where you’re trying to go,” he said.

There is no better time than the present to make changes in your life, Thomas said. 

With the semester drawing to a close, Thomas said he knows how difficult it can for students to end on a high note.

“In order to finish strong you have to stay focused,” Thomas said. "Most of us are not going to be able to finish strong because we can’t stay focused.”

Another topic of discussion was how students often look for affirmation for doing something they should have been doing in the first place. Thomas said, if you are only participating to get that reward, you're going about that activity in the wrong way and do not have the right mindset to succeed. 

To wrap up his speech, Thomas gave a few final pieces of advice about how to be successful.

The first was to always have a backup plan in case things don’t work out the way you want them to.

The second piece of advice was to have a teacher in every aspect of life. He mentioned how many people feel they need to do things by themselves to get to where they need to be, but you can get help from others and still do things your own way.

His final piece of advice was to only take a break when you need to take a break. Taking a break is what gets people into trouble, Thomas said.

Thomas criticized the university for giving so many breaks to students during the holiday season because he feels it is difficult for students to be as productive after they return from breaks, according to Thomas.