Alumni have told me that after graduation, "everyone scatters." From what I have seen from the upper-classmen, I believe it. Part of me is afraid that the next few months is going to be the last time it is really easy to hang out with people from school. After this, hanging out will require getting time off work, ducking out early, or catching up over coffee -- which is not as fun as catching up over five shots of vodka.

Any thoughts on that?

 

I should have been more specific: I have two jobs. I have the internship and a job that pays the bills. I work the paid job on the weekends (Friday night & Saturday night); the internship is unpaid.

I really don't want money to factor into my decision, because the focus of my decision is on the potential for a deal/post-IB job from the PE internship. I can't quit the weekend job because it is paying my rent. So I currently intern three days a week, work two days a week, and I'm taking a full load of courses while studying for the CFA L2 (exam is in June). I would also like to sit for the GMAT before I begin banking.

I apologize for the lack of clarity, but I wanted to keep my original post as succinct as possible. Thank you for your feedback so far.

 

Let your gpa drop to a 3.7. Intern during the weekdays, work part time on Friday and Saturday, party on Sundays. If you have any free time then study for the CFA and GMAT.

After graduating and before starting work, go to vegas...you really need it.

 

Trust me, after being out in the real world for almost 2 years now, I WISH I had spent more time with friends and made more connections in school. Yes it's easier to stay in touch now with Facebook etc. but still take advantage of the college environment while you still can.

I would just make up some excuse for why you can't keep doing the PE internship in your final semester.

 

RELAX! This is the last time in your life you'll have no responsibilities. You've already built your resume and got a job, now sit back and enjoy the last days of the world as you know it.

- Capt K - "Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
 

Dosk - I've always trusted your judgment, but I'm so mixed on this one.

Isn't it always possible to say, "I wish I would've [insert something fun here] more in college"? Hell - assuming I would've still ended up getting the MM offer, I wish I would've gotten drunk/stoned/laid every day during college. But I was interning/networking/studying in place of getting drunk/stoned/laid every day, and as a result, I have fewer friends than some of my peers (who were doing said activities) who have weaker resumes/skills and have no idea what they are going to do in May when they graduate.

Is this just another sacrifice that should be made? Granted - working/not working at the PE firm has no effect on my MM IB offer, EXCEPT in the event my MM IB offer gets pulled due to the weakening economy, and the PE firm makes me an offer - which is likely if my IB offer is pulled. Anyway, this has been a very difficult decision to make. I enjoy the work at the PE firm and the people are great, but my friends are great too, and drinking is fun too. Anyone else? I really need help on this one.

captk - thanks for your post. Overall, it seems pretty mixed: don't be lazy and keep interning vs. enjoy life while I have one to enjoy.

 

That depends on you truthfully answering this question: do you have an offer, signed, sealed and delivered? Are you happy with your offer?

If yes, by all means, party.

Keep your grades up though, you never know when you'll want to go to grad school.

"We are lawyers! We sue people! Occasionally, we get aggressive and garnish wages, but WE DO NOT ABDUCT!" -Boston Legal-

"We are lawyers! We sue people! Occasionally, we get aggressive and garnish wages, but WE DO NOT ABDUCT!" -Boston Legal-
 

It's not like you want to go to law school, where grades actually matter......but still.

"We are lawyers! We sue people! Occasionally, we get aggressive and garnish wages, but WE DO NOT ABDUCT!" -Boston Legal-

"We are lawyers! We sue people! Occasionally, we get aggressive and garnish wages, but WE DO NOT ABDUCT!" -Boston Legal-
 

Well if it gets bad enough that the IB will pull your offer, I don't think the PE firm is gonna extend you an offer either. The whole industry's getting its collective ass kicked, PE and hedge funds included.

"We are lawyers! We sue people! Occasionally, we get aggressive and garnish wages, but WE DO NOT ABDUCT!" -Boston Legal-

"We are lawyers! We sue people! Occasionally, we get aggressive and garnish wages, but WE DO NOT ABDUCT!" -Boston Legal-
 

I wouldn't let the possibility of getting a deal for your future IB employer enter into this decision.

I would try to come to a realistic view on how valuable the contacts you are building at the MM PE firm are? Is this a place you would like to work at after the IB analyst job? Through the internship do you get exposure to senior people at the PE shop and do they like you enough to bring you back in the future? If you really think that this internship is going to substantially advance your career in 2-5 years then I would do it. I wouldn't do the internship for any other reasons that those listed above.

If you are a last semester senior you can't have that difficult of a course schedule. I don't necessarily think that this internship is going to interfere with your time at night when you will probably be most likely to spend time with your friends. Although, I can't really make that judgment because you really haven't told us what kind of time commitment it entails. If you are worried about grades, remember that the average entering GPA for HBS is lower than your current GPA.

The Prince of Wall Street

http://www.princeofwallstreet.com

 

F9 if it's any help, I plan to stop working senior year (or maybe 10 hours a week for spending money...ill see how much I managed to save) and party like crazy the second I get a FT offer. I purposely left my politics minor to senior year since the classes will be easy A's, which should make a fun two semesters when coupled with less work.

 

All of that does help.

I am feeling burnt out. I'm sure I won't after a few weeks traveling abroad after graduation, but I don't want to fuck up my reputation as a student or as an employee at the PE firm by skipping out on work or under-performing. I'm considering dropping a class and just focusing on my accounting classes.

Thank you everyone for your help. After asking a lot of friends and family about it, I've definitely decided to relax my last semester. Thank you everyone for your feedback. If anyone else wants to provide their comments, please do. I am looking forward to being just a student again (I'll keep the PT job 20 hrs week to pay the bills).

 

After I had my offer in hand, all I did was party. I will NEVER regret it. The last semester of college was the best time of my entire life. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever again will you be able to live as care free and party as much as you can that semester.

Fuck the internship, fuck your weekend job, go out and have fun. Fun dies quickly once work starts.

 

Thanks for all of your help. Here is what I decided to do. I could have graduated with three minors (who needs three minors?), so I dropped my German minor. That will free up three classes this semester. I will take it easy in school and keep the internship and party like crazy. I will have plenty of time to intern 15 hrs / week, study for the CFA, take care of my classes, and party my fucking ass off. To me, it is the perfect solution.

Thank you everyone for your advice. I really appreciate it.

 
F9 - Update:
Thanks for all of your help. Here is what I decided to do. I could have graduated with three minors (who needs three minors?), so I dropped my German minor. That will free up three classes this semester. I will take it easy in school and keep the internship and party like crazy. I will have plenty of time to intern 15 hrs / week, study for the CFA, take care of my classes, and party my fucking ass off. To me, it is the perfect solution.

Thank you everyone for your advice. I really appreciate it.

Great call, you won't regret it.
- Capt K - "Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
 

Not a senior, but got my summer internship for junior year and I'm going to spend the rest of my year focusing on working out so I can run a half marathon before having to sit on my ass 16 hrs a day. Also write a few short stories that I didn't have time for and maybe volunteer at the animal shelter. Woo so excited!!

 

Unless you're in absolute shit shape, you should probably bump that goal up to a marathon if you're going to be training for 5-8 months.

I'm still in junior recruiting, but I have one offer. After I'm finished, I'm going to hit the gym hard, cut down the drinking (doing 6 nights a week to deal with recruiting and shit), and start to plan out road trips/travel for the rest of the year with friends.

 
Best Response

My recommendation - MDMA, pot, LSD + pot, pot. In that order. If you want to keep leveling up after that - 2CB, mushrooms, salvia divinorum, DMT, with pot all along the way. Maybe some snow cones (bong with pot + amphetamines sprinkled on the top).

But don't get too dependent on pot for work/life balance when you start working.

(you can do all this while working at an animal shelter)

Those who can, do. Those who can't, post threads about how to do it on WSO.
 
SSits:

My recommendation - MDMA, pot, LSD + pot, pot. In that order. If you want to keep leveling up after that - 2CB, mushrooms, salvia divinorum, DMT, with pot all along the way. Maybe some snow cones (bong with pot + amphetamines sprinkled on the top).

But don't get too dependent on pot for work/life balance when you start working.

(you can do all this while working at an animal shelter)

No go on the salvia, legal highs are the worst.

 

I've been microdosing my buddy with 25i for the last 2 weeks, can confirm seeing people as monochromatic colors is essential for those stress-free college years.

 

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