How would you've made the best out of your college years in hindsight?

DISCLAIMER: It's a little weird that I'm posting on this specific website because I don't particularly have any interest in working on Wall Street after graduating college. I can't say I have my sights set on any particular career at all really. But when a finance/consulting career did pique my interest a couple years back, I came across this forum and even after that phase passed, for some reason, I have still found a lot of value and even enjoyment in learning from the type of worldview of the people on this forum. But yeah, I digress.

Anyway, I'm a senior in high school and I was just accepted to a super selective undergrad institution (HYP), and of course, my family and I were over the moon. But there's now an even bigger part of me that's worried about all the ways the next four years could just go to waste especially considering the kind of opportunity that just landed in front of me. Simply put, what if I fuck it all up. So I'm curious to hear from any of you who've graduated college (any college, because I think my worries apply to just about anyone about to attend college): how would you have made the best out of your college years? How do you find an area of study you can truly be passionate about? How do find a career you can be passionate about? What are the little things you should've done that you maybe just didn't realize back then? Would you have had more fun? Met more people? How do you come out of it all as a better person? Hell, how would you have spent the summer before your freshman year? In case you did go to a really selective institution, how would you have differently handled the pressure of an environment like that? Anything goes, really. I look forward to hearing from you.

1 Comments
 

Ullam impedit autem sit dolor. Dolor facilis assumenda voluptas. Dicta earum impedit voluptas deleniti ut ea optio.

Aperiam quo commodi assumenda adipisci magni ut. Qui et rerum consequatur cumque. Hic doloremque numquam quod aut quisquam natus.

Alias sunt vel veritatis iure. Libero quia dolor sequi sit. Ipsam labore repellat perferendis rerum. Deserunt sunt optio eum.

Omnis beatae error fugit expedita laudantium. Consequatur quas magnam ea tempora sint autem. Nihil placeat quia perspiciatis vero.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (47) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (74) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”