Q&A on College and Career

 

How can I get over the fact that I am growing up? 

I am just in college but still missing my childhood and high school days.
If that happens infrequently then it’s okay, if you’re constantly thinking that way, it is very likely that those times were way better than your present situation and you’re craving that. Focus on what you can do right now to flip the situation, so that even this moment will be nostalgic later on. How to focus? Don’t go and start making a routine/arranging tasks in order to complete. Just treat everything in FCFS you’ll automatically be doing all that unknowingly (subconsciously) and you’ll be back on track.

Should I take life advice from my seniors?

 Your immediate seniors can only help you w.r.t academics and short term vision because they’re themselves not experienced much and just as clueless as you are. So, reach out to seniors who’re doing what you wanna do and are 7-10 years down the line, they can give you a real day in the life of their profession and tell you about the real challenges faced during that timespan.

How should I go about my college life?

Have some goals and the courage to pursue them. What is success? Progressive realization of a worthy ideal. Success is anybody who is doing a set defined task because he deliberately wants to do it. Everyone will end up having a job supporting a family but at some point all of us will feel monotonous and that is why we need stuff we love doing outside of work. Try to figure that out in college. If you’re still left with time, try serving the community in the smallest ways you can, it’s automatic to feel happy when you do so.

How do I manage college studies with my life goals?

If you’re disciplined, it’s easy. Cover the topics taught in a day that day evening itself. The next morning work on your goals. Don’t try to make use of all the time, because you won’t be able to do that and that’ll make you sad. Relaxing/chilling/being social are equally important.
If you’re not disciplined, get through college with the required bare minimum somehow, and devote all the time to your goals. This is risky and will break you many times, but that’s the price you need to pay for not being disciplined. In the end, all that matters is your determination and you’ll be just fine.

I am really struggling with my academics and nothing seems to work out.

Okay, first accept the fact that you’ve fucked up real bad. Success sometimes can be accredited to luck but failure is mostly on you. Now, do what a hungry person would do to survive. Earn something to feed yourself, not the suitable time to look for side income sources but focus on getting a real job somehow. (Referrals, Connections, Cold mail, Friends and Seniors) no matter how average the compensation is. Once you secure that you’ll at least be independent financially and now get over the fact that you screwed up your academics. If you’re in the industry, you’re promoted on the basis of work you do. If you’re into academia, focus on research papers and projects that showcase your dedication. Where there is a will there's a way and it’ll work out. Actually, unless you lose a massive life changing opportunity because of your academics (not rare but not common either) it’s highly unlikely that it’ll matter to you when you’re grown up.

 

What should I pursue?

Do you have the luxury to pursue what makes you happy (whilst not harming anyone)? If not then get on doing something, anything that pays your bills first. Now, pursue what is meaningful to you not what is expected of you because when going gets tough, the tough gets going. You’ll only have the determination to do it in hard times if you find it worth the effort or else you’ll give up.

Have you ever felt your goals becoming a burden on you?

Yes, it’s because you’re trying to achieve too many things in a short period of time and it’s called burnout. You might even burnout without achieving any of your goals so focus on one and slowly level up your game.

How to maintain a social life while exploring different opportunities and working hard?

Unless you’ve been doing that since highschool, which is quite rare, it’s next to impossible to manage all of that. Either choose a good social life and studies or focus on studies and opportunities. You can still maintain a hi hello relationship with people if you choose the latter.
 

How to choose between two career paths/options?

Firstly don’t do that unless you’ve at least accomplished one of it. Make sure you’re not falling into the comparison loop where you’re actually not able to put full effort in hardwork. So, to answer your question you’ll never know how the other option would turn out for you. So just choose the one that feels right to you, if you fail, then change. The key to success is being responsive to change.

I see everyone around me doing well, am I the only one suffering and under achieving?

Everything in this world is relative, it’s understandable that you feel this way. I will not ask you to be happy for them, coz unless you love them it’s hard. So, if they’re doing what you wanna do, go reach out to them and ask for help. How did they make it? If they’re doing something else, then trust your gut, you chose your stuff because you find value in it, probably you could also make it the way they did but what if you don’t find that meaningful to you? Would you live that life? Don’t try to be the jack of all trades, you’ll burnout. Also, society couldn’t be less concerned, so take a vacation/get back to work.