Advice for incoming college student? (UVA)

Imagine you are 18 years old again, your senior year is just starting to wrap up and summer is just around the corner. What advice would you give to yourself? In terms of both career focused and non career focused. 

14 Comments
 

Getting into McIntire would be my prime focus. I don't know how it's done but have heard good things. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Isaiah_53_5 💎🙌💎🙌💎

Getting into McIntire would be my prime focus. I don't know how it's done but have heard good things. 

Thanks for the advice brother! Anything socially/philosophically? Do you wish you partied more? Partied less? Studied more? Things of that nature. 

 
Most Helpful

David Constabile

Isaiah_53_5 💎🙌💎🙌💎

Getting into McIntire would be my prime focus. I don't know how it's done but have heard good things. 

Thanks for the advice brother! Anything socially/philosophically? Do you wish you partied more? Partied less? Studied more? Things of that nature. 

I love UVA. I have visited and partied there and have most of my Spanish degree from a UVA Spain program. UVA Valencia is a great study abroad program if you can fit it in your schedule. 

I think partying a lot in undergrad is part of the experience. I went to a school in undergrad where we were not allowed to leave at night, so I had a different kind of time in college. But, party your ass off, and make a 4.0 as well. Start researching what fields you want to intern in junior summer. 

It's never too early to start networking, so feel free to ask people for coffee chats and the student status is king in asking people for advice in the corporate world. Many want to help - networking is really your best bet to line up a job.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Rising sophomore at a different school - be active around campus. Join clubs, do competitions, go out, don't stay in and scroll reels all the time. The more active you are in these endeavors, the less daunting things like networking and all will be. Build good habits - you will need them. I'm going to suffer more because I don't have these habits built up

 

Yeah, explore more. I changed majors/fields like 4 times before settling into something. And hell, I might leave trading at some point. When you explore more, you find more about yourself. That's a good thing. 

 

Rising 2nd yr @ UVA. I made a TON of friends and had a great time, but wish I just said "yes" more. I'm part of a top finance club, played tons of intermural sports, and went out like 2x/week throughout the yr. Biggest rregret is not talking to more people, so make new friends whenever you can.

Career-wise: Polish your resume before applying to clubs. If you're planning on applying to McIntire, try to keep your GPA above 3.7 - rushing/pledging could potentially fry you. Try to befriend as many upperclassmen as possible about recruiting and just general advice. 

 

Be open minded, I wish I changed majors in college when I had initial doubts as a freshman. Thought about switching to engineering (I took courses alongside many early on and really liked them despite my GPA taking a hit). I still think I would have enjoyed it, even though I believe I would have still gotten my MBA in my late 20s to probably switch over to business.

You don't need alcohol or drugs to have fun. I drank fairly heavy after turning 21 and about a year after college. I drank far less in my late 20s and even less now in my early 30s.

Greek life varies from frat to frat, so trend carefully. The largest frat at my undergrad got kicked off and had a terrible reputation amongst the student body.

 

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