INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Go over your completed coursework to confirm everything is taken care of. Discuss your next steps. Are you going on to higher education? Are you entering the workforce? Talk to an advisor or counselor about your plans and listen to any advice they may have to give you. If you plan to go on to higher education or additional schooling, make sure everything is in place. Get your transcripts ready, visit financial aid offices and apply to the schools of your choice in plenty of time to make a final decision. Find out if there are any testing requirements you have to meet, such as the GRE or GMAT, before starting school. Gather the deadlines for these items and start a checklist. Research funding resources and grant opportunities. If your next steps involve relocation, begin thinking about the logistics of your move. If you plan on entering the workforce after graduation, go ahead and start preparing your resume. Keep it concise and clear. List your experience, accomplishments and skills clearly. Choose three to five professional references. Check with those people to confirm they have no issue with being your reference. Gather any letters of recommendation you might need. Prepare an interview outfit. Don't forget to create a cover letter to go with your resume. Most professional businesses will require one. Visit your school's career center to see if they have any resources to help you find work, internships or scholarship opportunities. If you're planning on purchasing a car, renting an apartment or buying a home after graduation, a credit check will most certainly be run. Most professional places of employment will check your credit history before hiring you, as well. There are websites online where you can obtain a free credit report. Do this and examine yours closely for errors. Mistakes can occur on credit reports and unfortunately, if they aren't caught ahead of time, these can impact your plans and economic status. Prepare a post-graduation budget so that you can start preparing for life after the ceremony. It is standard practice these days for most places of employment to check your social media accounts before hiring you. These accounts are easy to access and people can tell a lot about you by looking at your communication and behavior online. Comb through your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and any other social media accounts and eliminate anything glaringly irresponsible. Create a LinkedIn account and put some time into filling out your profile professionally.

SUMMARY: Meet with an advisor or counselor before graduation. Prepare your transcripts and think about financial aid. Update your resume. Check your credit report. Clean up your social media accounts.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Check your local Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) website for listings of reputable truck driving schools near you. Look for programs that have been approved by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI). Attending truck driving school is the best way to learn how to properly drive a semi truck. You can also take CDL classes through a community or technical college in your area. Some schools offer several driving courses with only one that has been approved by the PTDI, so do research before deciding which one to sign up for. Truck driving schools offer programs designed to prepare you to get your class A or B commercial driver's license. If you want to be a professional truck driver, plan to complete about 350 hours of training over a period of several months. You can take training courses with fewer hours, but these are generally meant for people with some experience under their belts who need a refresher course. Training programs that have been approved by the PTDI average $4,200, in addition to the cost of books, license fees, and other expenses. During the training program you will learn how to inspect a semi truck to ensure that it's safe to drive as well as how to operate a semi truck and handle real-world situations. Skills you will learn include how to: make controlled turns without putting cars and other vehicles in danger. shift gears. stay in your lane or switch lanes. manage your speed on the highway. deal with traffic congestion. handle obstacles in the road. navigate narrow city streets. back up and reverse the semi truck. park the truck. In addition to learning how to operate the vehicle, you will also learn how to be a responsible driver. Here are examples of specialized knowledge you'll gain to prepare you to get your commercial license: How to keep a logbook to record your hours on the road. Knowledge about Department of Transportation requirements you must follow. How to safely transport hazardous materials. How to operate air brakes. Other behind-the-wheel instruction.
Summary: Find a truck driving school in your area. Enroll in a training program. Gain skills and knowledge during the training program. Train on how to operate as a truck driver.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The risk of having a first-time blood clot (VTE) is 100 in 100,000. However, that risk goes up exponentially as we age: by age 80, the rate of VTE is 500 in 100,000. As you get older, it's important to monitor your overall health with regular medical checkups. Recent surgery or a broken bone in your hips or legs increases your risk of blood clots. Those who lead a sedentary or inactive lifestyle are at higher risk of pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in the lungs. People who sit more than six hours a day in their leisure time are twice as likely to have pulmonary embolism of those sit for less than two hours. Prolonged periods of lying, sitting, or standing in one place can cause blood stasis, leading to clots. This is one reason why VTE is so common in hospitalized patients, especially after surgery, and people traveling long distances. People who fall in to the obese category have a much higher risk of VTE than those in a healthy weight range. The correlation is not completely understood, but experts believe at least part of it is due to the estrogen produced by fat cells. Estrogen is an independent risk factor for blood clots. Fat cells also produce proteins called "cytokines," which may play a role in formation of VTE. Though not always the case, the obese may also lead more sedentary lives than those who fall into healthier weight ranges. To calculate your BMI, use an online BMI calculator, like the one on the Mayo Clinic website. You will need to input your age, height, weight, and sex for your results. An obese person will have a BMI of 30 or more. The overweight range is from 25-29.9, and normal from 18.5 to 24.9. Anything below 18.5 is considered underweight. Hormonal shifts, especially those involving estrogen, can put people at risk of VTE. This is often seen in postmenopausal women who take estrogen supplements as part of hormone replacement therapy. Women who take hormonal contraception to prevent pregnancy and those who are pregnant are also at risk. Before beginning any hormone therapy, discuss the risks and your options with your doctor. Coagulation is just another word for clotting, which is a normal process for your blood. Without it, you would bleed to death if you cut yourself! While coagulation is normal, hypercoagulation is when the blood clots too much, even when it's still in the body. Hypercoagulation can be caused by long periods of sitting or lying down, cancer, dehydration, smoking, and hormone therapies. You are at risk of hypercoagulation if: You have a family history of abnormal blood clots. You personally had a blood clot at young age. You had blood clots during pregnancy. You've suffered from multiple unexplained miscarriages. Some genetic disorders, such as Factor 5 Leiden Disorder or Lupus Anticoagulant, can also cause this condition. Atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and the build up of cholesterol plaques in your arteries can all lead to blood clots. If you have atrial fibrillation, your blood isn't flowing properly, and may pool and begin to clot. People with atrial fibrillation may notice an irregular pulse but no other symptoms; it is usually discovered during routine check-ups. It can be treated with blood thinners or other medications, lifestyle changes, and in some cases a pacemaker or surgery. Waxy cholesterol plaques can build up in your arteries (sometimes as part of atherosclerosis) and, if the plaques break, they can begin the clotting process. Most heart attacks and strokes occur when plaque in your heart or brain bursts.

SUMMARY:
Raise your awareness with age. Consider your activity level. Calculate your body mass index (BMI). Pay attention to your hormone levels. Be aware of a hypercoagulation. Learn about other health conditions that increase the risk of blood clots.