Advice for first year college student
I've just begun my four year tenure at college and feel both excited yet nervous for what is to come.
I have career aspirations within the financial sector, however, despite my rather young age, I can't help but feel as if I need to get my shit together asap in terms of figuring out how to navigate e.g. the IB application process.
For any of you older folks on this website, what general advice would you give freshman you?
To parrot the advice I saw on here while I was trying to figure out applications (which I started pretty late in the game), focus on GPA over everything early on. Make sure if there is an investment club at your school your working your ass off to get into the best one assuming you're at a non-target/semi target. I got into a decent position by focusing on GPA and networking and getting a little lucky. Wish I had done investment club.Best of luck and don't worry to much about it. The fact you're thinking about this now means youll be just fine even if you miss IB entirely. Plenty of decent finance jobs outside of it that pay well enough.
Appreciate the advice! What did you major in at college and do you have any recommendations regarding specific courses which you found interesting and/or valuable? (doesnt have to be finance related).
While technicals and high GPA are important, don't sleep on 1st year networking, I found connections made during freshman year were more genuine IMO
- High GPA - super important
- Best investment / IB / finance club(s) at your school - try to get to a leadership role by sophomore year.
- Learn your technicals cold
- get CLOSE with current juniors and seniors. They will be going to FT jobs / wrapping up SA when YOU are recruiting. They CAN make introductions, and believe me, they will come in handy.
- HAVE FUN
Keep up a high gpa and get laid.
Yeah, make some friends and get some pussy. You don't wanna be a socially awkward hardo that can't communicate with anyone. Make some cool memories that you can reminisce on with your bros. Do something that's interesting that will make you an interesting person. It would look cool if you took MMA or boxed or played an instrument. That's underrated advice.
Other than that, keep your grades up; it's the first year, so most of your classes are easy general electives. If you really want to be ambitious and have the time then get an excel certificate and a headstart on your technicals. Also, read the WSJ or something. But don't become a finance robot.
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