

What do you wish you knew before graduating from college? - ericthegoodking


======
ACow_Adonis
All the staff/counselors said that university would be different from high
school: that the tests wouldn't be stupid, that the smart would love it, that
it was all about merit and ideas and intellectual curiosity.

It wasn't.

Its a place where you pay money and show you're willing to waste a few years
of your life for a piece of paper that lets you pass a certain firewall in
societal hiring practices, shows you largely fit in to corporate and societal
norms, and depending on where you went, lets you network with others while
excluding those who don't jump through the hoops.

Because of that, don't stress about what you're studying. Just get the piece
of paper, or network, its what you're there for.

And don't get me wrong, the piece of paper does let you earn more money and
opens doors. Mines financially paid itself off by now, but I resent the
process and society that means I had to get it.

~~~
ACow_Adonis
Oh, and I should add: Life can be better after university.

I know many people who would disagree with me, and one thing I do miss is the
societal norm of weeks of free-time (which you won't get us much if you're
chasing grades/networking), but I've found the financial freedom from being
employed, and using one's free time to chase your own intellectual curiosities
rather than those set for you much more enjoyable and rewarding.

~~~
tagabek
I had the same kind of revelation about high school. Programming and the
internet allowed me to build a life outside of school that eventually became
the source of my livelihood and lifestyle.

------
Vosswood
That doing something you're good at and love is more important than doing
something you're good at, not really passionate about, but makes a crap ton of
money.

When I was younger, money is all I cared about (I come from fairly modest
means). But when my friends and I started making decent money we started to
think, what's next? Why are we doing what we're doing right now...

And ditto on the connections part (not just for space you're interested in,
but also all across everywhere/anywhere. You never know when those connections
will come in handy, especially if you're in the startup space.)

~~~
tagabek
What came next for you when money started to be less appealing as you earned
more of it?

------
alt_
That networking and building contacts is an important part. Being smart and
learning the material while skipping all the classes and social events won't
give you all the benefits.

------
coreymaass
My assumption in college was that graduating mattered, and my major didn't.
Thankfully I was right, but it stressed me out at the time.

On a personal level, I wish I'd heard Derek Sivers talk about doing one thing
at a time sooner. I spent years trying to be too many things, and I see now
how I couldn't help but half-assed all of it.

~~~
nickthemagicman
One thing at a time sooner.... My professors have a different book they read
called everything all the time with short deadlines.

------
yesimahuman
That we really were just kids and we'd look back and laugh at how young and,
frankly, stupid we were. That it was better to get through it and move on than
to let it consume you and get stuck in it.

Also that in the programming field grades didn't matter, but having great
taste and passion did.

------
JoeAltmaier
That it was largely irrelevant to my work. University is for life, not
technical knowledge.

